Torchwood
by whovian24601
Summary: A girl from our universe gets stranded in the Doctor Who/Torchwood universe. Where will she go? Good thing she's in Cardiff, where she knows someone who could help her, but he might need a little convincing. And the fact that she seems to know everything about them doesn't really help. How will she cope with all the knowledge she has? And with being away from home?
1. Prologue

**A/N: I started to think, what if I did a re-write of the series, to show a bit how I would change things if I were there, but not too much either—wibbly wobbly timey wimey—and this is the result. I don't know if I should give any warnings... Uh, 2nd person point of view, the OC is a girl—just saying—about 23. Real name and looks are completely up to the reader. And the characters will probably be a bit OOC since I hadn't written much of Torchwood at this point. Hadn't finished watching the series either (now I have). I hope you like it and sorry for the long A/N.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Torchwood or any of the characters from the show**

**Prologue.**

Running. It's the only thing you can do. Something is chasing you, and you wonder if you have a chance to survive. Deep down, you know you can, but you're so overwhelmed by fear and doubt, that you don't even consider the posibility of survival.

You're getting tired. You're breathing fast, you feel like you could stop breathing at any minute, and you'll faint, giving that _thing_ a possibility to kill you. Then you spot it. It's what you're looking for, isn't it? Torchwood 3. The Hub.

You don't dare look back, and as soon as you reach the door you knock frantically. You're scared as hell, on the verge of tears, but you manage not to break down, and keep knocking in that frantic way that only terrified people can make, those that are running for their lives.

"Please, please, please, please." Even after running so much, you find a way to speak. "Open the door, please. Open the door."

That thing after you, it's catching up. If the door doesn't open now, you're dead. You cry out, frustrated. Isn't saving people their duty? Saving people from alien life forms? Doesn't Torchwood exist to destroy alien threats? That thing after you is totally an alien threat, yet it seems like Torchwood doesn't want to help.

As you turn around to face your possible killer, you cry out loud, "Oh, come on!"

This is it. It's getting nearer and nearer. You're going to die, and you know it. You close your eyes and take a deep breath. Maybe it isn't that bad. Maybe…

You were leaning against the door, and the door opening so abruptly almost makes you fall down. But you notice, and open your eyes while you steady yourself. Without another second's thought, you enter the office and shut the door behind you. Then you lean back against the door, and take a moment to catch your breath, because you're still panting.

"Jesus Christ," you mumble. Running for your life isn't that fun after all.

That's when you hear it. A male voice, with a Welsh accent. You recognize his voice immediately. "Can I help you?"

"Hi," you say. You look at him, and he's exactly the same as you remembered. Short brown hair and blue eyes. You're not really sure that what you're going to do is for the best. It probably isn't. You wonder, if you're doing the right thing by coming here. And maybe you are, but maybe you're not. And there's only one way to find out. "I'm looking for, uh," you hesitate, not sure what you should call him, but you have to say something, "Captain Jack Harkness."

He remains expressionless, but you see something flicker in his eyes. "I don't know who you're talking about."

You suppress an exasperated sigh. Why do people have to be so secretive? Then again, it _is_ supposed to be a secret organisation. _Then why do they order pizza under the name of Torchwood?,_ you think. "Yeah, I think you do." You maintain eye contact for a while. He's sizing you up, wondering if he should give up his façade or not. "Look, if he's not available, I'll just wait here," you say, resigned. You know he's not going to give you any information. You start to look around. It does look like a tourist guide office, that's for sure. But your eyes flicker toward the hidden door, the one that takes you down to the Hub, and you remember what the Hub looks like, with all the technology, both Earth and alien technology, and the pterodactyl and everything.

He clears his throat, and you look back at him. You were lost in your thoughts. Not really a good idea, when you know he could pull out a gun on you at any minute, but you also know he wouldn't do that. "What's your name?" He asks.

That's the least thing you could do. Give them your name. But you know that it might cause something terrible, something that might cause the fabric of reality to be torn appart. But you owe it to them. You really do.

So that's what you decide to do. To make up another name, to start fresh. A new life here. Maybe you could even try and get a job at Torchwood. The name you make up is a common name, which is a great way of hiding yourself even more. The thing is, you know everything about them. But they don't know you. Maybe it's time to change that. "I'm Lucy Blake."


	2. Everything Changes: Day 1

**Day 1.**

They weren't gone long. Ten minutes later, Ianto checked something on his computer, and you knew it was the CCTV. Jack and the team were back. You wondered where you were, in which part of their timeline. You saw the date on the papers outside, right before running away from that thing that you suspect of being a weevil but you don't know for sure because the lights in Cardiff are too dim at night, and it said it was 2007. Which meant, their adventure had just started, and you were here to help.

They entered by the front door, which was a bit surprising. They knew you were waiting for Jack. Ianto had told them a while ago. Honestly, you didn't know what to expect, and you weren't prepared for what you were going to see. Torchwood 3 was a group of 5, as usual, if you count Ianto in, but instead of Gwen, you see Suzie. And that's when you know this is literally just the beginning.

"Well?" Jack asks you. You don't really know what to say. You were here for a job, but it's hard to get a job at Torchwood. The only thing you know is that you have to talk to Jack in private. You don't want the rest of the team to know, especially Suzie.

But Jack being Jack, you know that if you ask, he'll turn that into some innuendo, and really, that's the last thing you need.

You remember how they've got computers and stuff in the SUV, and you wonder if they've researched you already. You know they'll do that at some point, and you know what they'll find. Nothing. Because your Lucy Blake doesn't exist.

You have to say something, so you won't look stupid, but what can you say? The truth isn't an option, not with so many people around anyway. What you're trying to create is an alternate reality, an alternate universe if you will.

You don't know what to say, so you settle for a question. "Well?"

He raises an eyebrow. "You're the one who wanted to talk to me."

"I know." You're the only ones that speak with an American accent, and suddenly it's weird for you, to speak with that accent in Cardiff. "But I thought you'd be more curious about how I know your name. It's strictly confidential, isn't it?"

And suddenly, the scenery changes, and you don't know how, but you're in Jack's office, the two of you alone, and you know this is an interrogation. The others are carrying on with their work, but you know they're all curious to know who you are.

"Let's start with the basics then," Jack says. "Who are you and who told you about us?"

The question is so simple, yet you just want to laugh. You can't answer that. Your name? You've told them your new identity, that should be enough, so you ignore that part, and move on to the next part of the question, which you wonder if he will believe. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you." You say. You've heard those words before, in movies, and books, and you always thought it was a cliché move, but now you know why they say that. Even though deep down you know they _will_ believe you, eventually, you feel like they wouldn't, like you've gone crazy.

"Try me," he says.

So you do. You answer honestly. "I first found out about you through Doctor Who," you don't even bother to explain. You know you'll get there eventually, but it all seems too crazy to be true, "and Tumblr made me want to check you guys out."

He's confused, you know that. He doesn't know what Doctor Who is, but you expected him to know at least what Tumblr is.

"Doctor Who? What the hell is that?" He asks.

You swallow. Saying it out loud will sound crazy, you know that. They'll lock you up in a mental ward, and you'll never be able to get out. You look around, and remember. This is Torchwood. If someone will believe you, it's Captain Jack. "A TV show." You answer, not quite looking at him in the eyes. "From where I come from, you're all fictional characters." You look at Owen and Tosh working, and you think about how much you shipped them, and how much it broke your heart when they both died, and Owen remarks they never had that date they were finally going to have. You blink, tears starting to form, and you drift your thoughts to something else, something less painful. But this is Torchwood. If anything, this is painful as hell.

When you look back at Jack, you know that he has mixed feelings about this. He knows it could be true, but the idea sounds so ridiculous he can't help it but question the veracity of your words.

"Go on, ask me something about your life, see if I can answer that." You ask, even though you know it's stupid. They don't show his whole life on the show. Just bits of it, and with him being immortal, it's even harder to know about his entire life.

"All right," Jack says. He thinks of something no one else would know. "When was I born?"

You stare at him. Did he really ask that? That's the easiest question in the world! "Fifty-first century." You answer immediately. "Don't know the exact date, just the century." You shrug, as if apologizing, but why would you apologize?

"Then how come I'm here, if this is the twenty-first century?" He wants you to prove that you didn't just read a file about him, though there's no file about him that says his real date of birth. At least you don't think so.

"At some point you became a Time Agent, then a con-man and you travelled to the twentieth century, I think. In fact, Jack Harkness isn't your real name at all." You remember the episode, but swiftly push the thought away before you start rambling. "Anyway, then you met the Doctor during the London Blitz," this time you remember the episodes, that had been split up in two, and remember how creepy they both were, "and decided to travel with him after Rose convinced him to take you with them." You remember Rose and the Doctor, travelling together, but you push it away before you can get to Doomsday. "Then you died, and were brought back—" You stop yourself before you can tell him what happened, how he was brought back by Rose, who'd absorbed the Time Vortex. "That's another story. Anyway, after that, you were left in Satellite 5—or the Game Station—but with your Vortex Manipulator," you point at something that looks like a wristwatch that's on his left wrist, "you tried to find the Doctor. You arrived in Cardiff, 1869, and you were recruited for Torchwood twenty years later." You cringe at the memories of how he joined Torchwood. Those girls, from Torchwood 3 were so cruel, you'd started to doubt their humanity.

He was visibly troubled. "Okay, let's say you're right. If I did come back in 1869, then why am I still alive?"

"Simple. When you were brought back," you avoid Rose's name, "you were brought back forever. You can't die. Not ever." You drift away again, but before it can get any serious, you force yourself to push away the memories. No need to give him any leads about what he doesn't know yet, or about what's going to happen.

He's about to say something, but someone knocks on the door. It's Suzie. You resist the urge to glare at her, it would only make things worse. "Jack, I need to speak with you." She says. You resist the urge to roll your eyes. You know she suspects something, and if you're not careful, you might be her next victim—if there is one. You don't remember that episode really well.

"Uh, not now, Suzie," Jack says.

"But—" She insists, but Jack cuts her off.

"We'll talk later." Suzie clenches her jaw, and leaves. You know it's not a good idea to piss Suzie off.

You look down at your backpack. You have your computer there, with all the episodes of your favorite shows, all your movies and all. "I've got proof," you say.

Jack raises an eyebrow, and you take that as a "Show me". You take out your computer, which has a Torchwood background. You'd forgotten about that slight detail. You slip in your password, which is also Torchwood-related. Then you look for the first episode in the series, and show him the first five minutes of the show. He looks surprised, and looks alternately between you and the screen.

"That's exactly what happened today," he mumbled, but you can still hear him.

"Shit," you curse, and you ignore Jack when he looks back at you, a confused look on his face.

"How did you get here?" He asks you.

"I was visiting Cardiff, back in my universe," you remember, "and I found out there was also a rift in time and space over there. I packed my stuff, just in case, and one day, I was going to a restaurant with my friends, and I just disappeared, and appeared here. I knew it was another universe because of the slight differences between here and there. Well, that and it's nighttime here." You admit.

"How did you know Torchwood existed in this universe?"

"I didn't. Just took my chances."

Then Jack starts telling you about how he's going to find a place for you to stay, since you don't have any money or a place to stay. He asks Ianto to drive you home, and all you can think about is how their relationship is going to change from now on.

When you get to the appartment—or, should we say, flat—you thank Ianto before entering it. Then, you take a look around. It's rented, and the furniture is already there. You leave your stuff on the couch, which is white. It's very minimalist, to be honest. White couches, a glass coffee table, and a glass table, a normal though a bit narrow kitchen, even though there's not much to eat, a small study, with empty bookshelves, a desk and a gray HP printer, a blue bathroom, and a small bedroom with a queen-sized bed and a drawer.

You take your bag and start emptying it. You know you're going to stay here for a while. You put the books you brought in the bookshelf, the few clothes in the drawers, and your computer on the desk in the study. Before going to sleep, you don't watch TV. You take your favorite book, and read in bed, until you feel your eyes closing. You put the book on the nightstand and turn off the lights before falling into a deep sleep.


	3. Everything Changes: Day 2

**A/N: Sorry, I wanted to post sooner, I really did, but when I was uploading this, my internet shut down. Again, sorry!**

**Day 2.**

Next day, you're surprised when you wake up to a phone ringing. You know it's not your cellphone, because it's not supposed to work here, so it must be a landline. You pick up, a little insecure.

"Hello?"

"Good, you're awake." It's Jack's voice on the other end. "I have a question for ya," he says.

"Go on," you say, fiddling with the wire at the end of the phone.

"I'm guessing you want a job at Torchwood?" He says and you can't help but wonder how the hell he knows that.

"Is it that obvious?" You ask, mostly to yourself.

"Kinda," he answers. "Anyway, let's do something. Write down what happens in the first episode, and give it to me." He says. You're about to protest, but he adds, "I won't read it until you tell me to, okay? But I just need to know you're not making anything up."

"Why can't I just show you the episode when it's over?" You ask.

"Because."

"Nice reason," you say sarcastically, but sigh. "I'll do it. By the way, there's a weevil at a hospital—I don't know which one, sorry—so, you should probably get there as soon as possible." You warn him before hanging up.

You realize it's 9:30. You yawn, before going to take a shower. When you dress up, you're wearing blue skinny jeans, a long-sleeved plaid flannel shirt with a red tank top underneath, and black converse. You have your blue jean jacket ready in case you have to leave your appartment quickly.

You walk toward the study, your cellphone with you all the time even though it's unlikely to work. You open your computer and start typing.

Good thing you'd told Jack not to hack into it, even though you wonder if they could. Your guess is yes, so you don't want to risk it. Also, you're glad Jack decided not to retcon you. And even if he tried, you'd notice. Because if you forgot about them, you'd forget a big part of your life, and you'd remember eventually.

Hours passed, and the phone rang again. You walked out of the room and picked up. You were almost done with the transcript. "Yes?" You ask.

It's Jack, as you'd suspected."Ready for lunch?" His question is totally unexpected, and you take a while to respond.

"Sorry?" You want to make sure you heard right.

"I asked if you were ready for lunch. If you are then get down quickly, we're picking you up now." He says, then hangs up, not waiting for your answer. You blink a few times, to get out of the confusing daze you're in, and hang up too. You close your computer, not bothering to save the file or to turn off your computer, grab your phone—which is more out of habit than out of necessity—your keys and your empty wallet. Then you grab your jean jacket and put it on, before you exit your apartment, locking the door behind you.

It's not raining. Actually, the sun's up, even though it's cool out there, not warm as you'd expect. If it weren't for your jacket, you'd be a little cold. Actually, your hands are, so naturally, you stuff them in your pockets while you wait for the SUV to arrive.

When it does get here, you notice only Tosh and Jack are in. The others aren't, which you're thankful for. They take you to a chinese restaurant. Jack tells you that he told the team that you fell through the rift and that you're from a parallel universe, but you know that he hasn't mentioned anything about you knowing about them.

You spend the first part of lunch making small talk, then Jack starts telling anecdotes, and you wonder if they are real or not. You find them funny, though, and apparently Tosh does too because she laughs very often.

After lunch, they take you to the supermarket. You buy food, obviously, and some other stuff you'll need for cleaning and washing up, etc. Then, Jack drives Tosh and you to a mall—or, should I say, shopping centre—and leaves you there to buy some clothes while he goes God knows where to do whatever Torchwood business he has to do.

You two spend some time bonding, and become friends really fast. You're careful not to say anything you know about her, though. You buy some clothes you like, for both winter and summer, some jewelry even if you don't wear it much, a wristwatch since you lost yours when running away from the possible weevil, and a new cellphone. It's not nearly as good as yours, but you _are_ in 2007 so it's the best you can ask for. Your old phone is a black iPhone 4, that sadly doesn't work here because it's from another universe. You buy an iPhone, the first generation, and decide to use your other phone like an iPod touch.

After that, you two take the subway—or underground. Tosh teaches you how to use it, since it's a different system from what you're used to. You get to your apartment and you two say goodbye. Tosh has to get back to work while you have to finish the transcript.

You walk up, wondering how you got all mixed up on this. You wonder what's going to happen now. Well, the rest of the episode, that's for sure. You finish the transcript, and print it. You call Jack to tell him—Tosh had given you the team's numbers—and when you do, he asks you to come to the Hub as soon as you can.

You pick up the pages, staple them together, and grab your new messenger bag, putting the pages inside, before exiting your apartment.

You go to the Hub, and Ianto greets you a bit more warmly than last time, though there's still doubt in his eyes, and you remember why he mistrusts everyone. Lisa. You forget about that, before you start crying, and greet him just as warmly before he lets you in.

The Hub looks just like before.

It must be, what? 8 pm? 9 pm? You check your wristwatch, just to be sure.

Then you greet everyone else, even Suzie. They also greet you, but they get back to work almost immediately, except for Tosh who smiles at you and motions you to Jack's office. You smile back, a thankful smile, and walk up.

Jack opens the door, and also greets you.

"Did you bring it?" He asks.

"Yeah." You open your bag and bring out the non-damaged pages. "Here."

Jack reads the title. "'Everything changes.' Nice."

"Well, you're the one who said 'The twenty-first century is when it all changes, and you've gotta be ready'," you quote him, and he raises an eyebrow, but nods. He puts the pages on a drawer, and closes it, locking it in the process.

He looks at something on a screen. The CCTV, you guess. You remember today is the day they went to the hospital. This is also the day when Gwen discovers about them.

"She's here?" You ask.

"You mean the girl from the hospital? You know her name?" Jack asks you.

You nod. "Yeah. She's Gwen Cooper."

"To answer your question, yes she's here. I'm guessing you know what we're about to do."

"Yeah," you say. "Want me to go or…" You don't finish your sentence.

"No need. You can help us put up the show." He says.

"What do I do?"

"Wait here," Jack says, not quite answering your question. He walks out to warn the others, and then comes back in. He slams a couple of files on the table and tells you to pick up one, and start looking through it, as if you were filing some paperwork or, even better, researching someone. You nod, and start doing just that. Five minutes later, the door opens.

A few seconds later, not even a minute, Toshiko cracks, and Owen snorts.

"I can't do this, I'm sorry. I'm rubbish. I give up!" Owen says, in his London accent. You turn around, to see them laughing.

Tosh points at Owen. "He set me off!"

"Well, that lasted no point two seconds." Suzie says, cracking a smile. Gwen is confused, obviously. You remember how funny it was when you first saw it, how it made you crack up as well.

"Hmm. She's actually carrying pizza!" Owen remarks.

"Come on!" Jack says, just like you remembered. "She was gonna say, 'Here's your pizza,' and I was going to say, 'How much?'," Jack gets up, and you do too, heading for the doorway in his office. Suzie joins the rest of the team as well, "and she says, 'Oh, whatever, twenty quid,' and I say, 'Oh, I don't have any money.'" He smiles to himself and leans against the doorframe. "I was working on a punchline. I'd have got there. But it would've been good!"

"There's your pizza. I'd better go," Gwen says, deadpanned, and probably a bit ressentful.

"We've gone past that stage." Jack says as a contradiction.

"You must've been freezing out there. How long were you walking around? Three hours?" Suzie asks, letting Gwen know they could see her.

"You could see me?" Gwen asks.

"Hmm." Suzie nods.

"And before we go any further, who the hell orders pizza under the name of Torchwood?" Jack demands, and you chuckle. It _is_ supposed to be a secret organisation after all, but they really need to work on the secrecy thing.

"Uh, yeah. That would be me. I'm sorry. I'm a twat." Owen says. _Yes, you are_, you think.

Gwen just looks at them, before asking, "That man, at the hospital, that porter, what happened to him? That was real, wasn't it? He was attacked."

"He's dead," Jack informs her, dead serious.

"But there's no one gone missing." Gwen remarks.

"We took the body, retrospectively changed the work rota, planted a false witness who saw him leaving the hospital, giving him an alibi for the next 48 hours, so when his body's pulled out of the docks next Tuesday night, he's only been missing for three days." Tosh informs.

"He was murdered?" Gwen asks.

"Yes," Tosh answers.

"And you covered it up?"

"That's my job." Tosh shrugs.

Gwen turns to Jack. "And that other man, John Tucker? Last night in the alleyway, I saw you."

"And what did you see?" Jack asks.

"You revived him."

"No. What did you see?"

Gwen looks down. "You resuscitated him."

"No, what did you see?" Jack repeats, this time more persistent.

"You brought him back to life." Gwen finally answers the "right" answer.

Jack nods. "Yeah."

"Who are you?" Gwen asks.

"Torchwood." Jack answers.

"What's Torchwood?" Gwen wonders. You feel the need to tell her everything you know. From when it was founded, why and by whom, to how the actual team got recruited, but you know that would be a big mistake so you keep your mouth shut, and let Jack do the talking.

"This is Torchwood. All around you." He indicates everyone, but skips you. Naturally, you're not yet part of the team, and you might never be, but you can't think that way. You have to be optimistic.

"And what happens to me?" Gwen asks. "I'm Police Constable Gwen Cooper. You can't do anything."

"Right then, PC Cooper... d'you want to come see?" Jack proposes.

"See what?"

"You saw the murder." Jack motions with his head. "Come and see the murderer."

"Go with him." Suzie says.

"What is Torchwood? Who are you? What is this place?" Gwen asks as she follows Jack. That's when you hear a screech, and Gwen ducks out of instinct. You look up and smile at the creature flying over the Hub. "What was that?"

"Pterodactyl." Tosh answers naturally, as if she'd just said "my phone is ringing". Gwen stares at her, until Jack calls out.

"Are you coming?" Gwen follows him.

While they're gone, you don't really know what to do, so you walk around his office, and you put the files back together. You leave them there, not sure where they go and not wanting to look around either. Then you walk down into the Hub, just as Jack and Gwen come back.

Owen swings around his chair, and Jack makes the introductions. "Owen Harper, Gwen Cooper."

"_Doctor_ Owen Harper, thank you." Owen corrects, and you roll your eyes.

"Toshiko Sato, computer genius." He points at Tosh. "Suzie Costello, she's second-in-command." Suzie looks up from her actual project and smiles. "And this is Ianto Jones. Ianto cleans up after us and gets us everywhere on time."

"I try my best." Ianto responds, and it surprises you how happy he looks when you know that's not how he's feeling at all.

"And he looks good in a suit," Jack adds.

"Careful, that's harrassment, sir." Ianto remarks, and you can't help but chuckle, because you think about what's going to happen in the near future between Ianto and Jack. Gwen and Jack look at you, and Jack finishes the introductions.

"And she's Lucy Blake, a visitor." _Visitor_, you think, _could be worse. _You wave at her hello, and smile a little. The clock on the wall indicates it's 9:30, and you think about how you should go home.

"Why are you telling me their names? I'm not supposed to know, am I? This is classified, isn't it?" Gwen asks. You want to laugh. It's supposed to be a secret organistation, _of course_ it's classified. But honestly? Torchwood 3 overestimates the power of their amnesia pills.

Jack looks amused when he says, "Way beyond clasified." Of course, you don't qualify, not yet, but that doesn't really matter, because you believe you will. After all, you're here to help them, save them even. Because you know Tosh and Owen die at the end of season 2, and Ianto dies in season 3, and you want to stop that from happening. And also, you want to pair up Tosh and Owen so they at least go on a first date before they die, something you want to stop but don't know if you're going to make it.

"Then you shouldn't be telling me. What are you gonna do to me?" Gwen asks.

"What do you imagine?" Jack answers her question with a question. He heads into his office and puts his coat on.

Gwen answers almost immediately. "Well, I've seen too much. Your names and everything, and the weevil, and…" She glances at Tosh. "You can dump a man in the water and lie about his death."

Ianto heads into Jack's office, while Jack does the exact opposite, with his coat on. "Oh-kay! Tosh, finish that calibration tomorrow morning. Owen, first thing, get a hold of Chandler and Bell, 'cause I think they're lying. Ianto, if he needs back-up, then you'd better be on stand-by. Suzie, I know it's a pain in the ass, but I need the costing on the glove research. Lucy, start working on the second one, and as for you, you're coming with me. This way." Jack says. You're surprised he gave you orders, and by "the second one" you know he means the transcript of the second episode. You nod, while you check your old cellphone, for no reason at all. You just had the urge to. You put it away as soon as you realize, no one's supposed to have seen it. Thankfully, they haven't, since they're too busy wrapping up their stuff.

Tosh is the first one ready to leave, and you follow her as she walks to the door, Owen close behind.

"Good night!" Tosh says.

"Later!" Owen says.

You don't know if you should say something, but you do it anyway. "See ya."

While you're walking away from the Hub, Tosh starts talking to you while Owen ignores the both of you and walks away. _Rude_, you think, but don't say anything. Suzie is behind you, having been the last one to leave—you don't count Ianto since he's still at the Hub, cleaning up—and doesn't hurry to catch up with you.

"What was Jack talking about?" Tosh asks you.

"It's complicated," you answer, knowing you can't tell them, not yet anyway. "And a long story. Also confusing. I'll tell you as soon as I've figured it all out," you say, pretending the whole thing confuses you, even though it's simple as hell—if Hell is simple.

"Oh, all right." Tosh doesn't push you, which you're thankful for. "So, what are you going to do tonight?"

"I don't know. Read a book? Watch a movie?" You shrug. "What about you?" You ask just to be polite, since you already know what she's going to do.

"Same. And maybe I'll work a little on—" She starts talking about her latest project, and even though you pay her complete attention, you don't understand many of the technical words.

"Sounds fun," you say. Tosh walks home, and since you're going the same way, you walk together, talking, until Tosh's home. You say goodbye, and you walk home too.

You love walking at night, because the air is purer than during the day, and it's more quiet. You can hear everything, and at first the sound of your footsteps make you cringe, so you start walking softer and softer.

When you get home, you do exactly what you told Tosh you'd do.

You eat while watching a movie, then read a little before going to sleep. _This is becoming a routine_, you think right before falling into a dreamless sleep.


	4. Everything Changes: Day 3

**Day 3.**

This time you don't wake up as early, since you wake up on your own. It's about 11 am. You have a feeling you won't go to Torchwood today. Not until it's nighttime, because you want to intervene. You wash up, and get dressed. Today, you're wearing a skinny jeans, a long-sleeved t-shirt with white stripes, black combat boots, a Black leather with crystals bracelet with silver-tone brass studs, silver-tone brass skull, and an adjustable buckle fastening and your silver wristwatch.

You eat breakfast, since yesterday you hadn't and you hadn't noticed how hungry you were until Jack called you for lunch, and then brush your teeth before you start working on the transcript of the second episode.

Tosh calls you and asks you if you want to go to lunch with the rest of the team, but you decline, thanking her but telling her you have to work on what Jack asked you to.

You have lunch while watching another movie.

Then you start working again on the transcript, but even though you're three-quarters through, you're getting bored. So you pick up a book and read a little. It's 6 pm when you put the book down.

You grab your green camo military jacket and put it on. You also grab your keys, both of your phones, and put them in your pockets as you leave your appartment.

You know you have to get to the Hub before Gwen does, even though you know she goes there at night. So you walk around the city until you find yourself at the Millenium Centre and by then it's already nighttime.

You see Gwen at the water structure, and also Suzie. You can't see her, but you know it's her. You walk toward them, carefully, not wanting Suzie to see you yet. When they start talking, you start walking faster, never mind whether they can see you or not.

"Hello again. You were right. You told Jack we should liaise with the police. I was the only one who bothered. So, I was the only one who saw the report." Suzie says, before taking out the knife. "They got a good likeness." Gwen gasps, and you get closer to them, still not catching their attention.

"I'm arresting you for…" Gwen says weakly, but cuts herself off to ask a more important question. "How do I know you?"

Before Suzie can answer, you step into the light and they finally notice you.

"What are you doing here?" Suzie asks you.

"Knew you'd be here," you reply honestly. You know she'll kill herself, so you don't see why you should lie. Who'd she tell? In this universe, there's no afterlife.

"How?"

Still, Gwen's here. She doesn't die. "Does it matter?" You evade the question.

"How do I know you?" Gwen repeats, but this time, you know the question also concerns you, not Suzie only.

Suzie shakes her head. "I thought you might've saw it. And that can trip the amnesia, one image, if you're clever. He said you were good. Anyway. It's not much good now, I can't really... But you're gonna put up a fight. So I've got..." She reaches for her handbag, and you remember she pulls out a gun. "Um. Hold on. Sorry."

"Shit," you curse. But before you can do anything to stop her, Suzie pulls out a gun after struggling for a moment with her handbag. She puts her bag on the ground as she points it at Gwen, then at you, then back at Gwen again.

"Put it down," Gwen demands.

"You had to come back." Suzie whines.

"Put the gun down," Gwen repeats. She looks at you for help, but you shake your head. She won't put it down and you know it.

"You're the only one who can make the link. Well, the only one in public. Torchwood's gonna find out by morning, but I'll be gone. I don't know where. Far away. What am I gonna do? I loved this job. I really loved it. And now I've got to run. Oh, Christ. How can you do any other job after this one?" She asks, with regret filling her voice. You put yourself in her place, which is easy, seen as you've done it before.

"You don't." You answer. "Working at Torchwood must be amazing."

"It is," Suzie nods. She'd pointed the gun at you as you spoke.

"Please put the gun down," Gwen repeats. Suzie points the gun at her.

"It gets inside you. You do this job for long enough, and you end up thinking, 'How come we get all the Weevils and bollocks and shit?' Is that what alien life is? Filth? But maybe there's better stuff out there, brilliant stuff, beautiful stuff. Just... they don't come here. This planet's so dirty, that's all we get—the shit." She complains.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Gwen says, but you do.

"Well. Weevils _are_ 'shit'." You agree with her, but you're not done yet. She points her gun at you. "Alien life… Well, it depends. Some creatures, like the Ood, are nice and trusting. Then you have the Daleks, the Cybermen, the Weeping Angels and stuff. Believe me, Weevils are nothing compared to that. And let's not forget the Vashta Nerada…" You trail off. "Those are nasty. And the Star Whales or whatever they're called. They're beautiful, but they can't come here. It would destroy the city if it came through the Rift. Honestly? Weevils aren't that bad compared to everything else that can come through."

You've said too much. You know that, but Suzie is about to die, and it's not like Gwen understands anything that you're saying. Suzie probably doesn't either, for that matter.

"How do you know so much?" Suzie narrows her eyes a bit and shakes her head. She ignores you again, and starts complaining again. "I wish I could forget."

"Why did you kill those people?" Gwen asks.

"For the glove," Suzie answers. She motions, as if she were to move closer to where Gwen and you are.

"Just—stay where you are."

"I needed the bodies. That's how it works. Violent death. And it was so easy. To bring them back, I'd position myself behind the head, so they'd never see me twice." Suzie explains what you already knew.

"You killed three people."

"It was the only way. The more I use the glove, the more I control it." Suzie continues her explanation.

"I don't understand. What glove? Where have I seen you before?" Gwen keeps asking questions, and you wonder if she remembers already and she's just pretending or if she genuinely doesn't remember yet.

"If I can get enough practice, then think what that glove could do. If I could get it work all the time, on anything, beyond the two minutes, if it could work permanently, it could resurrect."

Jack starts rising, and you know this is the moment you have to prove yourself. Besides, you've always wanted to knock some sense into her. "Look—that's crazy. I mean, yes, the glove could resurrect, but there's a natural order. Someone lives, someone dies. If you try and resurrect someone, and it works, then you'll die. You can't fight natural order. That has some serious consequences." You remember the episode of Supernatural when Dean tries to get a little girl to live but everything goes sour. That can't happen again. "You can't mess with resurrection. And imagine if you could resurrect someone without dying yourself. Then what? You decide who comes back and who doesn't? 'Cause I'm sure you'd be the one using the glove, right?" She nods. "Then what? Deciding who dies and who doesn't makes you a monster. And besides, you'd be playing God, which isn't exactly smart."

"You don't understand." Suzie shakes her head. "Resurrection on demand for the whole world, that's good. It really is. And I wouldn't just _choose _who to resurrect. Anyway, that's what I've been working for, all day and all night. The rest of them go swanning about, but I'm working. You've got to get inside this stuff. Surrender yourself to it. I did, with the knife, and the glove, and that's why the perception filter isn't gonna work on me." Like you suspected, she turns around fast and shoots Jack. The bullet hits him in the head, and he falls onto the ground, between where Suzie is and where Gwen and you are. You don't react, since you know he's going to come back. Because you know he can't die. And you're used to watching him die.

"What? Who is he—? Where did he come from?" Gwen asks. "What have you done?"

"Stupid move," you mumble, but it's nighttime, and it's so silent around you that everyone hears you.

Instead of answering, Suzie points her gun at you. Her resolution falters, and points at Gwen first.

"Please don't." Gwen pleads.

"I can't let any of you go." She switches back at you and you know you're going to be the first one to go down. _Any minute now, Jack_, you think, fear abruptly coming back. You swallow, and make a step backwards out of instinct. You don't go for a run, though. Instead, you force yourself to stay where you are.

"Please," you plead.

"I've got to." She gets ready to fire, and you close your eyes and take a deep breath before opening your eyes again. If Jack doesn't wake up now, you'll be dead and you won't have saved them. You'd have died in vane. A tears slips down your eye, and out of the corner of your eye, you notice Gwen also has. She's probably overwhelmed by fear and because she's probably remembering everything she'd forgotten.

That's when Jack stands up, and you sigh, relieved. The bullet hole is still visible on his forehead.

"Put the gun down," he says, and Suzie turns around, eyes widening. The bullet hole closes.

"Suzie, it's over," Jack says. "Now come with me." He holds his hand out to her.

Suzie hesitates, eyes flickering between Gwen and you and Jack. She puts the gun under her chin and fires. You wince at the sound. It's louder than you thought. She falls to the ground, dead.

Gwen gasps, and you turn to look at her. You know Jack is looking down at Suzie's body, probably remembering all the times he'd seen his teammates die. Gwen looks between Suzie's body and Jack, then once at you, but she glances back at Jack, and you remember how she once admitted she loved Jack. This time though, she says, "I remember." And she falls to her knees. The shock is probably too much for her.

While Jack is doing all that stuff you know he'll do, like putting the glove in a locked box and ask for whatever the guys took, and put Suzie's body on the morgue, you and Gwen are in the kitchen at the Hub. She's drinking a glass of water, trying to recover from the shock. Honestly, you're numb, but you force yourself to look fine, even if you're still a bit shaken from when Suzie was ready to kill you.

Then Jack comes back, and takes you and Gwen to the rooftop of the main Millenium Centre building. It's dawn, and honestly, it's as beautiful as in the episode.

"Owen and Toshiko, you didn't tell them that you were shot in the head and survived." Gwen says.

"You didn't tell them either." The way he says it, you know he means both of you, not just Gwen. "Followed my lead. Keep doing that, and you might just get through this."

Gwen sighed. "But she killed you."

This is the moment when Jack tells her about how he died. "I can't die."

"Okay."

"But I can't. Something happened to me a while back—It's a long story." He cuts himself off, and you know that he never said "It's a long story" on the show, and this is how you know you've started to change things already.

"So nothing kills you?" This, you remember.

"Well, it kind of freaks people out, so... best if you don't say anything."

"It doesn't matter anyway. You'll only wipe my memory again." Gwen says, resentfully. You understand her, because if that had happened to you, you'd be pretty cross with them. Why would you want to forget something like that?

"Why would I do that?" Jack asks. _So he's still going to employ her._ You sigh. So maybe you won't be working for Torchwood after all. Not from the inside anyway. Gwen gives Jack a weird look. "You were right. Maybe we could do more to help. And having a liaison with the police is a good idea."

"So, you'll help?" Gwen asks.

"Yep," Jack asnwers. This is weird. Different. He isn't going to employ her. You get hopeful. Maybe he _will_ employ you after all. He turns to you. "I read your transcript. Pretty accurate. Torchwood's got a vacancy. Job going to spare. Do you want it?"

Maybe you should go with Gwen's dialogue. Her "But… what do you need me for?". But Jack knows you want the job and, hell, you know it too, and you want it bad. "I think you know the answer."


	5. Everything Changes: Bonus Chapter

**Everything Changes.**

Jack sighed as he put the transcript down. It was pretty accurate. That was probably the worse part. The fact that a friend had betrayed him, and that person had been the first one he trusted. The first employee of the new Torchwood 3, the one he rebuilt to make the Doctor proud.

The Doctor… It seemed he wasn't going to show up any time soon. Jack pushed the Doctor away from his thoughts. No, this wasn't about the Doctor. This was about how he'd trusted Suzie and she'd failed him. Failed everyone.

Were there other traitors? If he had to guess, he'd say Ianto Jones, not because he wanted to but because he'd been the one insisting, trying so hard to get inside Torchwood. It was one of the reasons he'd put Ianto on clean-up duty. And Ianto hadn't minded. He did his job perfectly well, without complaining or asking questions. Jack was usually grateful for that. But not tonight. He was suspicious, of everyone and everything.

But then again, his entire team had betrayed him too, by taking some of Torchwood's alien artifacts home. He knew it would most likely happen at some point, with Owen around, but Tosh? Suzie? The only one who hadn't taken anything was Ianto… So maybe, he wasn't a traitor after all.

His head hurt. Grief was still too recent. Suzie, his friend. Suzie was gone. Tried to kill him even. That was probably what hurt the most. Not the fact that she'd betrayed him, or tried to run away, but the fact that she didn't even hesitate before killing him. She turned around, and shot him. Then she shot herself, because Jack lived.

His immortality was a curse, he knew that. At least that's how he saw it. Not a gift, just a curse. He longed for the Doctor to come, to tell him what was wrong with him, what happened, and for him to fix him. He didn't want to be immortal anymore. It hurt too much every time he lost someone. Jack didn't know how he'd managed to move on from every death. And even then, maybe he hadn't.

Jack was usually protective with the people he cared about, but he tried not to show it unless they were in imminent danger. Look where Suzie ended up. If only he'd been more careful, payed more attention…

A knock on the door, and Ianto was in, holding a silver tray with only one mug left. "Coffee, sir?" He asked.

Jack nodded, grateful. He couldn't risk speaking, though. Ianto put his mug in front of him, and Jack didn't hesitate in drinking it immediately. Good thing Ianto knew that already and had given Jack his coffee last, given it time to get a bit colder, so Jack wouldn't burn himself.

When Jack put the mug down, half-empty, Ianto asked, "Should I retcon them?"

He was referring to Gwen and Lucy. Jack thought about it for a moment. He knew Lucy wanted the job more than anything. and she would be more useful than Gwen. Lucy actually knew stuff about aliens, at least that's what she made it seem like when talking, also she knew about them. He'd noticed that Torchwood was a big part of her life—why else would she have a Torchwood background on her computer and run over to the Hub when she didn't even know for sure if Torchwood existed?—and retconning her might not be a permanent solution. He remembered the transcript, and how he'd employed Gwen. He wondered if it was a good idea.

Then he remembered what Gwen proposed. A liaison with the police might not be such a bad idea. But there would be conditions, and he'd have to make sure Gwen respected them. He shook his head. "It's not necessary." He told Ianto. "I'll deal with it."

Ianto nodded once, and left, careful to close the door behind him. Jack sighed, and looked at his half-empty mug of coffee. He drank it all, before putting it back down for the last time.

Torchwood did have a vacancy. And Lucy, even if she hadn't proved to be useful, might be. She could tell him when things were going to hell, when someone was about to die, who was betraying the team—if there were more traitors in Torchwood—so they wouldn't have to go through this again. Suddenly, he knew what to do.

He stood up, grabbed his military coat, and motioned the girls to follow him. He knew where he was going to go. It was almost dawn, and he usually did it when he wanted to be alone. It would be the best place to talk with them without anyone interrupting. So he made his way toward the rooftop of the Millenium Centre, with Lucy and Gwen following right behind him.


	6. Day One: Day 1

**Day 1.**

You put the recently finished book down and rub your eyes. You've been reading for a while now. You stand up and walk toward the study, where you put the book in the almost empty bookshelf. One of the two bookshelves is completely full, while the other only has four of five books. It's empty, and you know it. They're mostly paperbacks, since they're cheaper and the majority of the books in the UK are in paperback.

You walk over to your computer and you pull up the sleeves of your beige long-sleeved shirt before you start typing your password. You were already halfway through the transcript of the third episode when you stopped and decided to finish the book you were reading since you got here.

Now you return to the transcript, and try to finish it. It takes time, since you have to alternate between the episode and Celtx, the program you use to write scripts, but you manage to finish one scene when something catches your eye.

You stand up and walk up to the window, from where you see a comet of sorts falling through the night sky. It's on fire, and looks like it'll crash somewhere around the city.

You remember this episode, and remember it falls somewhere outside the city, not killing anyone by crashing. You also remember what Gwen did and how she let the alien out, and you're determined not to make the same mistake.

You don't watch the comet fall. You close your computer without turning it off, and start preparing your stuff. You'll get a text at any minute, telling you to come over to the Hub. While preparing your stuff, you get so excited your hand start to sweat a bit, and you wipe the sweat on your olive cargo pants.

You put on your beige flats with embellishments and readjust your silver wristwatch and your metal spike ID and chain bracelet, which is golden, and the spikes are silver.

You put the second transcript in your bag, to give it to Jack later, and you're putting on your beige cardigan with zip closure, longer in the back than the front, when you get _the _text. It's only one word, though. TORCHWOOD, it says.

They pick you up in front of your building. You get into the SUV, and sit besides Tosh, in the back of the car.

"Simple locating clean up operation. Find that meteorite before anyone else gets their hands on it." Jack explains what you're going to do, but you already knew that. You saw the episode after all. He looks back at you and says, "Good to see you, by the way."

You smile. To be honest, you're thrilled to be there. This is your first Torchwood mission, and you're determined not to mess it up. When the equipment in the back unfolds, your eyes don't widen, but your smile does. Toshiko now has an impressive workstation. Well more like, a mobile workstation.

"Tosh, you found it yet?" Owen asks. He's the one driving, so he doesn't look at Tosh when he speaks to her. On Tosh's monitor, a red dot blinks on the map.

"Basic tracking and surveillance," Tosh tells you. You don't say "I know", but just nod, "for the crash site. With this we can tap into CCTV networks, national databases."

"Cool," you say. You already knew they could do that, but it _is_ cool.

"Crash site is one hundred meters ahead," Tosh says after a while driving. Owen stops the car.

"Shit. The amateurs got here first." He says.

The police is already here, with military truckloads and all. The road's been sealed off. But of course, you already knew that. Jack is the first one to get out of the car, soon followed by everyone else.

"All right. Usual formation." He says.

You pick up your kits. You don't ask what the usual formation is, you just follow them and try not to get left behind. You don't want something to happen to you like it happened to Gwen. These military men could be _really_ annoying and a bit sexist too.

You get to the crashing site easily.

"So let's see what we came here for," Jack says and everyone gets to work. You take hold on the lead rope and head into the crater. There are small pockets of fire all over the place. There's a large rock in the center of the site, but really, what else did you expect?

"What do we know?" Jack asks.

"Bog standard space debris." Owen answers and then turns to you. "That's a technical term."

"Really? I hadn't noticed," you say sarcastically.

"So, take all the readings and let's get out of here," Jack orders.

Jack and Tosh open their kits, which are really full. Jack takes out some things and throws them at Owen, who catches them easily. You lean on the side, watching them work.

Owen uses a stethoscope to listen to the outer pod shell. He glances at you. Jack takes a reading of the air. Owen is still staring at you.

"Make yourself uselful, sweetheart. Pass us the big chisel from the toolbox."

You roll your eyes at the nickname. "Sweetheart? Really?" You walk over to the toolbox. "I have a name, you know?"

"It's not sweetcheeks? Freckles? New Girl?" Owen asks.

"Those are nicknames. Surely you already knew that," you say as you reach into the toolbox to grab the big chisel. You remember Gwen's retort, and you decide to quote her. Well, sort of quote her. "Shame your tool's not big enough for the job." Jack chuckles. You walk over to him and give him the chisel, not throwing it at him like Gwen had. "Here."

"Thanks." He's saying that just to be polite, and you know that. You walk back to where you were, but without meaning to, You knock over the toolbox. Some of the tools fall to close to the rock, but they don't touch it. You sigh, relieved when nothing happens. And of course, you internally curse yourself. You start picking up some of the tools when Owen trips over one of them and the chisel slips off his hand and falls on the rock, puncturing a hole in it. "Shit," he curses.

"Owen, catch!" Jack throws a mask at Owen, another one at Tosh, and he gives you another while he puts his mask on. Quickly, you grab the mask he offers you and put it on as well. Just in time, too, because at that moment a pink and purple gas rises out of the punctured hole and buzzes around before flying away into the dark sky.

Owen glares at you while you mentally face-palm yourself. So much for not messing it up.

You return to the Hub, because even though you know where the gas went and what it's doing, you have no idea where that place is in Cardiff. And you know they'll receive a phone call, so that's one problem sorted.

But you kind of feel guilty, because you know that if you hadn't knocked over the toolbox, then Owen wouldn't have tripped and wouldn't have unleashed that gas. You apologized a couple of times but stopped after that. It wasn't entirely your fault. Besides, you could've done what Gwen had, and punctured the hole yourself. So, your thoughts are a little selfish but you're just trying to ease yourself so I guess it's understandable.

Back at the Hub, Jack puts a box on one of the tables. "On the plus side," he says, "we've got good evidence, relatively undamaged." He opens the box. Inside it is a piece of the rock.

"On the downside, there's an alien on the loose, we don't know where it is, why it's here or what it's going to do." Owen says.

"Give her a break!" Tosh defends you, and you silently thank her.

"On the plus side," you add, "we do know what it's going to do." They stare at you. So, maybe you hadn't yet told Tosh, Owen and Ianto about you being from another universe where their lives were a TV show. But team was all about trust, right? So maybe it was time to tell them.

"Oh, really?" Owen says. "Please, enlighten us."

"Do you know where it is?" Jack asks at the same time.

"Yes, I mean, no." You answer Jack's question but ignore Owen's. You're cross with him because he hasn't stopped bugging you since the gas came out. You know it's your fault but you don't need him to blame you any more than you blame yourself. "I know what the place looks like, it's a bar or a club I think, but I don't know the name or where it is in Cardiff." Then, you add, "Someone should call us soon, and give us the address, but that's all I know." Then you remember the transcript. "Oh, by the way, I brought this." You take the transcript out of your bag and give it to Jack.

"Whoa, sheets! Because that is going to help us deal with the loose alien!" Owen says sarcastically.

"Actually, it is," Jack says. "But I promised," he adds and looks away from the first page, resigned. Tosh and Owen give him a weird look.

Ianto clears his throat, catching everyone's attention. He's at the top of the steps, holding a clipboard. "This might help. Nightclub death been phoned in to 999. Circumstances sound... a little unusual. Might be connected."

Jack raises an eyebrow at you, an unspoken question. "Told you," you say.


	7. Day One: Day 2

**Day 2.**

It's dawn when you enter the SUV and start driving again toward the club.

When you get there, it's early morning, and the police are already there. You see Gwen and her partner Andy.

"Hello," Gwen greets you. They all greet back, but walk past her, without stopping. You do, though.

"Hi. How's work?" You ask her.

"Same old," she answers. "First day?"

"Yeah. Not exactly the best first day ever," you admit.

"Coming?" Jack calls out. You sigh, and wave Gwen goodbye before following the others into the club.

You follow them to the girls' bathroom and you see a pile of dust on the floor. You remember the guy from the episode. This is all that's left of him. That depressing thought makes you so sad you can't say anything.

"You did say this is all that's left of him," Tosh looks for a confirmation.

"How's that possible?" The owner of the club wonders.

"The question is, how did you know this used to be a body?" Jack questions the man.

You resist the urge to chuckle at the man's embarassed face as he tells the story. "Bit of a shock, I tell you."

"We need to see that CCTV." Jack says. You don't bother saying it's not necessary. You just follow him and the rest of the team into the security room and watch the video with them.

It bugs you that there's a camera in the girls' bathroom, but you don't say anything about that.

"Wow," Jack says when the guy turns into that gold dust that the girl—Carys—absorbs.

"Oh my God! He just…" Tosh didn't finish her sentence.

"Came and went," Jack finished it for her. Owen and you snicker.

"That's the way I'd like to go," Owen says.

"I'm sure we could arrange it." Tosh says. The owner of the club appears upset. Even though you just snickered, you're still sad because of that depressing thought.

"How can that be? It doesn't make any sense. It's not possible." The owner still doesn't believe it. You roll your eyes.

"You don't keep tabs of your clients, I suppose." You ask him, even though you already know the answer.

"Of course not. We get hundreds of people here every weekend." He answers, a bit defensive.

"Thanks for your help. We've got all we needed." Jack thanks the owner. You know that's not true. You don't have a clue, but what good does arguing about that? You follow them out, still sad about the guy.

"We'll need a body from the cryo-chamber, close match to the dead guy's appearance. Disfigure the face, dump it someplace remote, make it look like a suicide attempt." Jack orders and Tosh and Owen move fast to "execute his orders". You don't even react at the "a body from the cryo-chamber" part.

"You know, the fact that you have a stash of bodies is a bit creepy," you remark.

Jack looks at you, but doesn't answer, and heads out with the others. You follow, as usual. Then you remember something.

"Wait! Jack!" You call out. He turns around. "I know what happened. There's a CCTV out in that alley where the alien took Cary's body as host."

"Carys is the girl?" Jack wants confirmation. You nod.

"Yeah. Anyway, I think you want to see that video." You point at the security room where you were a couple of minutes before.

You go back in there, and watch the video you told Jack about. With Carys in the alleyway when the gas possesses her.

"Let's get back to the Hub," Jack finally says.

Back at the Hub, Jack is using a penlight over a map of the universe. This didn't cause any effect on you when you saw the episode, so you forgot what it was. Since you don't want to be in the dark, you decide to ask.

"What does this do again?"

"I'm using satellite-tracking data to determine the inward trajectory of the meteorite." Jack explains.

"Right," you remember now. You also understood what he meant but apparently it doesn't seem that way because Tosh clarifies it for you.

"He means he's trying to find out where it's come from."

"Hey! Sometimes techno babble is good for the soul." Jack protests and you chuckle.

"Not a bad idea," you say. You remember the conversation that followed in the episode. And how, when Gwen asked what they did in to relax, Owen had answered "I torture people in happy relationships". You chuckle to yourself, and when you come back to reality, you find Owen looking at you strangely, Tosh and Jack being too immersed in their work to look at you—if they've heard you that is.

Tosh is at her workstation, playing the video of Carys in the alley.

"Gas traces confirmed as Vorax and Suranium." She says.

"Great, my two favorite gases. Can we do a check, and find out what we know  
about them?" Jack asks.

"I'm all over it," Owen answers.

Ianto walks into the Hub carrying a tray with mugs filled with either coffee or tea for everyone. Jack picks up one, then Owen, and finally you and Tosh. You thank Ianto before turning back to Tosh. "What are you doing?"

"I've taken an image of the girl from the CCTV. This cross-checks her face  
with the UK population." She answers. Right. You'd forgotten they had the whole UK population in that program. That's when the computer finishes the scan.

"Ah. A hundred and nineteen suspects. This thing's supposed to give us a single match." Owen says.

"The CCTV was too low res. I've tried magnifying and augmenting but it just breaks up. Which means that the software can't function properly." Tosh informs them.

"It's narrowed the numbers down. I could check through the rest. You know, the old fashioned way—with my eyes." Ianto says, pointing at his eyes.

You chuckle but say, "No need. I know who it is. Her name is Carys Fletcher. If you have every face of every person in the UK in that," you point at the computer, "surely you can find her address."

"I can do that," Tosh nods and looks for Carys Fletcher.

"Good one, newbie! That's a bit more like it!" Owen says.

You and Owen enter the house through the back door, both of you wearing white jumpsuits and masks, guns in hand, aiming at Carys, even though you don't want to shoot.

"What's going on?" The guy asks. You don't know his name, and right now it's not really important.

"Put your trousers on and get out." When the guy doesn't react, Jack yells, "NOW!" The guy does that and leaves almost immediately. "It always breaks my heart to say those words," he says, and you chuckle

"Air quality's okay." Tosh says after having checked the air with some device.

You all remove your masks while Carys seizes the opportunity and runs past you.

"Lucy, look out!" Jack yells at you. You reach out for Carys but she sprints and runs before you can grab her well. Owen, who was standing on the stairs, sees Carys running to the backdoor and throws a shell-shaped object at her feet, which puts Carys in some sort of prison.

"Cool," you can't help but say.

"It's a sort of inflatable cell. Power runs down after an hour. The battery life's bollocks." Owen explains.

"Who said you could use that?" Jack demands.

"Um, I just stopped a prisoner escaping." If Owen thought he'd win some points in his favor, he was wrong.

"You know the rules. None of that stuff leaves the building without my  
expressed permission."

"Fine. Don't thank me," Owen grumbles. Jack presses a button on his vortex manipulator and the cell vanishes. You walk up to Carys and grab her arm. "Come with us." You tell her.

Back at the Hub, Jack tells you to get some information from Carys. You put her in a cell and try to figure out how to start with the interrogation.

"Are you MI-5?" She asks, but you don't respond. "Where am I? What do you want?"

You don't know if this is Carys or not. You don't know what to say either, so you settle for what Gwen asked in the episode. "I think you know, Carys."

"How d'you know my name? I've never been in trouble. What do you want from me?" Carys asks.

"Look, I know there's something living inside you and I know what it made you do." You say part of Gwen's dialogue again. _I should really start figuring out how to do things by myself, without Gwen's help_, you think.

Suddenly, Carys screams and slams her body against the wall. It isn't Carys, but the alien who steps toward the glass separating you. "You broke my ship." It isn't a question, but a statement.

"Sorry." You can't help but apologize. "Why're you here?" You ask. You need to get this on the CCTV, just in case she forgets to mention it. After all, Jack can't read the file until it's all over, and only you can tell him when.

"I just want the energy. The climax. I live off that energy." She answers. _Right_, you remember.

"You've traveled here to feed off orgasmic energy?"

"There's nothing else out there like it. You taste so good. You're the best hit there is." The alien says. Then she starts screaming again, and starts flying around from wall to wall in her cell. Carys and the alien are fighting. You instinctively wince. That's not good. "Help, please! Get it out of me!" Carys pleads. You want to help, but you know that walking inside is a bad idea. Instead, you force yourself to walk away. You need to talk to the others.

"You know, for a minute I thought you'd go inside and start making out," Owen remarks. You glare at him, but don't say anything. Clearly, he takes that as a petition to continue speaking. "But you didn't help her either. Why? Do you want her to die? Is that it?" You can handle Owen making jokes about two girls making out, but you can't handle him questioning your motives. You want that girl to live. She's an innocent, nice girl. If anything, you want everyone to survive, not just Team Torchwood. You grab him by his shirt and pin him against the railing.

"What are you doing? Get off me!" He exclaims but you ignore him.

"Why the hell would I want her to die? She's one of the nicest people I've ever known. Don't say I want her dead because that isn't and never will be true." You say.

"All right! Jesus. I'm sorry!" He says, but you wonder if he really is sorry.

"We should be helping her. If she stays that way, she's going to die. She doesn't deserve that, she's an innocent girl—"

Owen cuts you off. "No, she's a murderer. You were the one who wanted her caught. How come suddenly she's your best friend?"

You tighten the grip on the collar of his shirt but Jack steps between you two.

"You know, strictly speaking, throttling the staff is my job," he says. Under other circumstances, this might've been funny, but now you're so pissed at Owen that you just glare at him before letting go.

That's when Ianto appears besides Tosh, carrying a box full of takeouts. He smiles. "So... who's for Chinese?"

Sitting at the conference table, eating dinner and laughing. it's probably one of the best meals you've ever had. You're not even mad at Owen anymore.

"And she said... she said, 'If I'd known that's what he was, I never would have married him!'" Jack's telling a story.

"She knew! She knew all along!" Tosh exclaims.

"She didn't care," Owen noticed.

"Until he started leaving black piles of mucus in the bathtub." Ianto completed.

Jack picks up his glass. " Always the big giveaway. Aliens have no sense of household hygiene." He takes a sip, put it down and stands up. "Which reminds me, gotta pee."

As soon as Jack's out of hearing range, they all turn to you, and you know what they're going to ask. "So what's he told you?" Tosh asks

You know she means "what's he told you about himself", but you decide to play ignorant. "About what?"

"Himself!"

"Not much. Why are you so curious? You've been here longer than I have," you say, even though you know more about Jack than anyone else in this room.

"We were banking on you!" Tosh says.

"Don't you ever ask questions to people about their personal lives?" Owen asks you. _I don't need to ask any of you anything about your lives. I know enough_, you think.

"Are you telling me you know nothing about your boss?" You raise an eyebrow. You're just pretending, but you can't help it either. If you didn't and told something, Jack would kill you. And if you pretended like you didn't care, it wouldn't be realistic and they'd know you're hiding something.

"Not who he is, not where he's from. Nothing, except him being gay." Owen says and you resist the urge to burst out laughing.

"That's what you think?" You can't help but smile a bit. But hey, it's eitehr that or laughing.

"No. Owen does. I don't." Tosh says.

"And I don't care." Ianto adds in.

"Period military is not the dress code of a straight man." Owen says.

"I don't think he's gay. More like pansexual," you say, then add. "I think it suits him. The military look I mean."

"Exactly! I've watched him in action. He'll shag anything if it's gorgeous enough." Tosh comments.

"See? Pansexual," you use Tosh's statement to prove your point. "At least we know he's American," you say.

"We don't even know that for sure." Owen contradicts you.

"No US citizen by the name of Jack Harkness born in the last fifty years." Tosh informs you.

_That's normal considering he was born on the fifty-first century_, you think. "Maybe his identity's classified." You pick up a chip and start eating it.

"Used to be something big in the CIA. That's what I reckon." Ianto says.

"I bet he has his reasons to be so secretive." You say.

"Sure he has. Doesn't stop me wanting to know what they are." Owen has a point. You've got to admit that.

"This proves that at least someone in Torchwood 3 knows how to be secretive. I mean, this is a secret organisation, you're not supposed to order pizza under the name of Torchwood," you tell Owen.

Owen sighs, exasperated. "Why won't you lot let this go?" He complains.

That's when you hear it. The crying. You look back at the screen and all the good mood is gone. You look down at your plate, not hungry anymore. But you force yourself to eat anyway. You've been up for more than 24 hours straight, staying up on adrenaline and caffeine. Eating's the least you could do for yourself.

Just as Jack walks back in, you mumble to yourself, "Carys Fletcher, born November 13th, 1987. School reports, personnel files from her temping agency, swimming badges from when she was six, reports of her mother's death in a car crash when she was ten. And last year's emails discussing the merits of Orlando Bloom and Heath Ledger."

"What'd you say?" Jack asks you, bringing you back to reality. You blink away the daze you were in and stare at him in confusion.

"Sorry?"

"You were mumbling something," he says.

"Something about Carys." You answer vaguely. No need to let them think you're a stalker, even if, technically, you _are_ a stalker.

"What about her?" Jack's pushing you.

"She's losing. If we don't help her now, she'll die."

"Any suggestions?"

You stay quiet. You know exactly what to do, but you've got to mentally prepare yourself first. And get the cell from Jack, or tell him your plan.

"Well, I've got work to do so," Owen says, standing up, "later."

"Me too," Tosh hurries behind him.

"I'll put these away," Ianto stands up too and starts picking up the remains of the takeaway. You sigh, also standing up and walk over to Suzie's old workstation that you guess is now yours. You search in your pocket for you keys, and get them. You've got an USB drive in your key chain, but you start working on the transcript again, you slip into Jack's office, and find the cell thing Owen had taken earlier. You slip it into your pocket, before going back to your workstation to work on your "side-project". You're almost done when Tosh calls out for Jack, and you decide to see what's going on too.

"This is the normal chemical composition of the air in that cell. And these... are the readings from the last hour. The alien's secreting an ultra-powerful blend of airborne pheromones." Jack stares at her, not understanding what she means, but you do because you've seen the episode already. "Sex pheromones. A thousand times more potent than anything we'd normally experience."

"She's a walking aphrodisiac!" Jack remarks. You replay the rest of the conversation in your mind, and your eyes widen.

"Owen!" You exclaim, and run toward the cells, Tosh following close behind.

You find Owen naked in a cell. Tosh speaks over to Jack with the comm. "Jack, Carys is out of her cell."

"Cheeky bitch took my swipe card!" Owen curses.

You hear Jack's voice by the comm. "I'll deal with it. And tell Owen he needs to work on those abs a bit harder."

You open the cell door and Owen steps out. "I was taking some readings, you know, keeping an eye on her, and bang."

"You got away lightly. Be thankful she was only interested in your swipe card." Tosh says.

When you walk back up, there's no one in the Hub, so you go to the reception, to find Ianto standing there, and Jack kneeling on the ground, with the Doctor's hand in his hands.

"I remember that episode," you say low enough so that only Jack hears you. "It shocked me. Then it regenerated and the Doctor was pissed. Trust me, there's nothing scarier than an angry Doctor."

"So, you're not going to lecture be about how Cary's life is more important than the Doctor's hand?" Jack asks you. You shake your head.

"I know how important finding the Doctor is to you." You can't stop looking at the hand, back in its jar filled with blue liquid.

"Oi! You'd better get in here!" Owen calls out. He goes back to the cold storage while the rest of you are at the top of the stairs. "So I'm trying to interpret the results of the bio-scan. Yeah, but it's just a mess, like there's no definitive readings. Because everything in her body keeps changing, nothing stays constant. So, as soon as you think you've got something clear, the metabolic rate, the blood pressure all goes wild again." Owen explains.

"She's fighting the alien for control of her own body." Jack remarks.

"You just figured that out?" You mumble, and roll your eyes. Jack ignores you.

"Yeah. So anyway, I decided to do a comparative diagnostic. Uh, recreate the circumstances, accelerate the process a little, see what's gonna happen to Carys." Owen keeps going on with his explanation. "I infected the rat with a combination of the Vorax and Suranium gas traces we found down at the crash site and at the nightclub."

"Looks fine so far," Tosh remarks.

"Once the gases start to flow round the body, the party really starts." Owen walks partially up the stairs to where some screens are, and checks the scans and readings of the rat. "The heart rate triples. The brain swells, pressing against the skull. And as that keep going, then the lungs began to shrink, making it impossible to breathe. The pressure increases on all the internal organs until..." He points at the rat, who abruptly explodes. "Rat jam!"

"That's what's gonna happen to Carys?" Jack asks.

"She did say she was losing," you point out.

"Right now, it's a struggle between where Carys ends and the alien begins." Owen says.

"Okay, we don't have much time, do you know where she is?" Jack asks you. You nod.

"Went to see her boyfriend or whatever he is to her. I don't know where his place is, but we can figure that out, right?" You point at the computers and Tosh rushes to her workstation and starts typing.

When you reach Eddie's place it's already nighttime, and you're running solely on adrenaline. Jack kicks the front door open, but when you get there, you only see a pile of dust over the bed.

"Too late," you remark.

"Where's she going next?" Jack asks you.

"I know," you close your eyes, trying to remember the name of the place. "Conway clinic. She's a recepcionist there. It's a fertility clinic. Sperm donors. An unlimited supply of orgasmic energy without all the build-up."

"Perfect hit," Jack says and you two stare at each other before running back down the stairs and into the SUV, telling Owen where to drive to next.

Jack gives you a gun, and you stare at it, in your hands. It's so weird, having a gun with you. Jack tells you he'll make sure you don't have to use it, since he probably knows you've never used a gun in your life, but with the gun in your hands, a wave of security and even more adrenaline crashes over your body.

"What's the plan?" Owen asks.

"We have to isolate the gas from Cary's body. If it's out there, exposed to our atmosphere, it'll die." You say immediately. No one contradicts you. Owen suddenly stops the car and Jack's the first one out.

"Come on!"

When you're at the clinic, you split up, Owen and Tosh going together while you're paired up with Jack. You open a door and find a room full of blokes. "Out! Now! Get as far away as you can!" Jack yells, and it has effect on them. They scramble to their feet and run out of the room. You two keep searching around, trying to find Carys.

After checking a couple of rooms more, you hear Owen calling out, "In here!" You and Jack don't even have to look at each other to agree on your next move. You run to where Owen's voice was coming from. Owen has his gun pointed at Carys. Jack's the first one to enter the room.

"Nowhere to run," Jack says. Carys turns around to look at you three as you and Tosh enter the room. She's surrounded. You're the only one who doesn't have a gun pointed at her.

"All this sex. All we see, all we think. So much beauty... and so much fear. We want it but we're so afraid of it..." A wave of pain hits her. "Ah!" She falls to the floor and you reach out for her.

"The strain on her body's too much. Any second now, she's rat jam." Owen informs.

"One more and I'll be strong. Each time, it works less. Each time, the feeling's weaker. One more. Make me feel alive. Make me feel human." Cary pleads, but you shake your head.

"Sorry, I can't."

Carys puts her head down.

"I can," Jack says. He kneels besides her. "You really want to feel something?" You don't protest. You know he won't die, so you let him kiss her. When he does, she starts glowing.

"What's he doing?" Owen asks. Tosh shakes her head. Carys stops glowing when the kiss ends.

"That was just the kiss. Imagine the buzz you get from the rest." Jack tells her, and you roll your eyes. Typical Jack. Carys smiles, then faints. "It wasn't exactly the reaction I anticipated." Again, you roll your eyes.

"Her body won't last much longer." Owen informs. This is it. You take a deep breath, and slip your hand inside your pocket, your hand curling over the cell thing.

"Use me. Leave Carys. Take my body as host. And just let her live." You ask, appearing to be brave when your heart is beating really, really fast, and you just want to run away, as far from her as possible. But you force yourself to stay, and do what Gwen did.

"Lucy…" Jack grabs your arm.

"I know what I'm doing," you tell him.

"You sure?" He asks you.

_No._ "Yes." _Not at all. _"One hundred percent sure." _Not sure if I'll ever be, but it's now or never._

"Okay," Jack agrees and stands up.

"Jack! You can't let her!" Tosh protests.

"Like she said," he glances at you, "she's responsible for this."

"Come on, then. Do it. Leave her." You step back, and force yourself not to run away. Owen and Tosh still have their guns pointed at Carys. You grip the object tight, and as you hear your own accelerated heartbeat, you wait for the gas to come out of Carys's body.

Carys's mouth opens and she gasps. The same purple and pink smoke you freed pours out of her mouth and revolves around Carys, before slowly towering towards you. You force yourself to wait until it's close enough. Closer. Closer.

Then finally, you drop the object you had in your hand to the ground, right underneath the gas, trapping it into a cell.

"How long can it survive in there?" Owen asks.

"It was pretty weak. Why?" Tosh answers.

"Bit worried how long that battery'll last for."

The cloud of smoke is getting smaller and smaller. "Look. It's dying," Tosh says.

Slowly, the cloud turns into dust, just when the cell collapses. Jack reaches out for the pink dust, picking up some in his hand. " You travel halfway across the universe for the greatest sex. You still end up dying alone."


	8. Day One: Day 3—Bonus Chapter

**A/N: Because this chapter is _really really really_ short, I'm putting the bonus chapter of this episode in here as well, so it's not only two lines. The bonus chapter is also short, but I promise I'll update really soon!**

**Day 3.**

The next day, you still haven't slept for a while. You bring Carys back home, where Jack is waiting with Carys's father. You see how they reunite, and a warm feeling spreads through your chest. There's no better feeling than knowing that you've saved a life, and now, thanks to you, a family's together again.

**Day One (Bonus chapter).**

What Jack had been doing before the meteorite fell was nothing he didn't usually do. Fill in paperwork, fight with the Prime Minister over the phone because they were absolutely useless, and stare off into space, thinking of the Doctor, mostly.

When the computer alerted him that something was falling from the sky, alerting the citizens, Jack stood up and checked what it was before sending a message to Lucy and lead the others—that were at the Hub—toward the SUV. It was just a simple locating-clean up operation. He just hoped nothing went wrong so he could send the others home early. He had no idea how wrong he was.


	9. Ghost Machine: Day 1

**Day 1.**

Running with a big green messenger bag on is a mistake. Its weight slows you down. And that's a bad thing when you're actually running after a 19 year old guy who's younger, faster and in better shape than you are.

You're not the only one chasing the guy. Owen is too, but even with your heavy messenger bag, you're faster than him. Jack is catching up with you, on the SUV, but you know it won't help. Gwen caught the guy in the episode. If you can get to him in time, you'll do too.

"Owen. Gwen. Left into the alley, right, thirty meters." Tosh gives you directions with the communicator. You don't ask what it is, so she doesn't explain. "Diagonal right, towards the castle." You continue running. "Jack," Tosh calls. "Sharp right, twenty meters." She tells him.

"Can you identify the target?" Jack asks. You can only hear him through the comm.

"I can't get a visual... Just a signal. Definitely alien in origin." Tosh answers. After a moment she adds, "Fifteen seconds."

"No heroics, we've got no idea what we're dealing with." Jack orders. You want to contradict him but it's better to save your breath.

"Ten seconds." Tosh warns. "Got it!" She exclaims and you know she's got the guy in camera. "Got a visual. Suspect's male, wearing a hoodie."

You keep running, forcing yourself to go faster. You're tempted to dump your bag, but you've got confidential info in there, and it'd take much more time to stop, take it off, drop it and start running again than to just run with that thing bunping against your hips.

The sound of your foldable cuff military combat boots can be heard throughout the streets, but you don't care. Since you've joined Torchwood, you've been running like this much more times than you tought you'd ever have to. Making so much noise doesn't bother you anymore.

"Go, Lucy!" Tosh says, and you know you're closer to the guy than you expected. You sprint up, trying to keep running, but you'll need to catch your breath sooner or later.

You take a sharp turn into a dark, closing mall. The lights are being turned off. You can see the man running in front of your, and you try to sprint but you've done all you could, and if you try to sprint once more, your knees will buckle and you'll find yourself on the ground before you can say "shit".

The guy—what was his name again? you can't remember and you don't even try—turns around a corner and you know there'll be a bucket over there. When you turn, you've got one second to jump or you'll trip. Naturally, you jump, farther than you wanted to, and find yourself nearly catching up with him.

Adrenaline pumping through your veines, you barely notice how the gates are closing. The guy passes under, and the gates are almost completely closed when you throw yourself to the ground and roll to the side, standing up almost immediately and sprinting after the man again.

You've forgotten everything about how exhausted you are and how you're breathing so fast you'll colapse if you don't stop soon. Adrenaline can be like that, worse than any drug.

The guy glances back to you, to see the distance between the two of you. He turns around and sprints again. You copy his move, and and sprint even faster after him.

The guy enters a subway entry, and you follow him. He jumps over the lower gate, and you do too. You're _this _close to stop him. You reach out and grab his jacket. You two struggle for a moment before he takes his sweatshirt off and runs away, but you don't go after him. Panting, you're can't say anything, but it doesn't matter because Tosh does it for you.

"You star! You did it!" You can hear her exclamation through the communicator.

You double over, not falling to the ground though, your sweaty hands over your ripped blue skinny jeans. As soon as you recover, you take your military jacket off. It's too warm, in your opinion, to have it on right now. Of course, that's because of the physical effort you've done, but it's still a legit excuse.

"What is it?" Tosh asks.

You search the sweatshirt's pockets, and find the machine inside. A few days ago, it would've looked odd in your hands, your black-and-white serpent diamond ring colliding with the metallic surface of the machine. Lights surround one of the buttons, and you're about to press it when you remember.

You put it down after staring at it for a while.

"Tosh? You there?" You ask.

"Yes. What is it?" She repeats.

"It's a ghost machine," you answer without a second's hesitation.

At that moment, Jack and Owen run up to you. "Sorry," Jack apologizes. "That damn gate cut us off."

"Sure," you crack a smile. "Next time try to run faster." You joke.

"You've got it?" Owen asks. You hold up the machine.

"Nice shirt," Jack says. You look down at your Rolling Stones T-shirt. "Went to see them once."

"'Course you did," you roll your eyes. "Let's get back to the Hub."

"You're saying this is a ghost machine?" Jack asks, incredulous.

"Yeah."

"But ghosts don't exist," Owen points out.

"No shit, Sherlock. I hadn't figured that out." You roll your eyes. "Not _that_ kind of ghost. More like… the echo of human emotions." You explain. You point at the button in the machine. "Press this button and you'll trigger an apparition. You'll hear that person's thoughts, feel what that person's feeling…"

"Really?" Jack takes the machine off your hands, his thumb hovering over the button. He touches it, and it looks like he's about to press it.

"Jack, no!" Tosh says at the same time Ianto says, "Jack please don't." You let him be. This half of the machine isn't that bad. When the two of them are together though… You shiver at the thought.

"As if!" Jack lifts his hands in surrender, but you know he was about to press it. Maybe he just wants to relive some moments from before.

"And there's more," you add. They turn to look at you. "There's a second half. The guy—what was his name again—has it. We need to find it." You say.

Jack nods. "All right. We'll keep looking tomorrow. Go home, everyone." Then he turns to look at you. "Got it?"

"Yeah." You take out the third and fourth transcript. You'd finished the third but had always forgotten to give it to him. "One thing. Promise me you won't read the fourth one, not even the title. It'll mess everything up." You warn, deadly serious. He holds his hands up, but looks curiously at the fourth one. When you give it to him, it looks like he's going to peek at the title. "Jack!"

"No peeking. Right." You glare at him before leaving.

"'Night," you call out.

Back at your appartment, you're too tired to cook but too hungry to skip the meal, so you heat up some leftovers from last night in the microwave and eat while watching some episodes of Merlin in your computer, ocasionally commenting, but you're too busy eating to say much.

You brush your teeth and prepare to go to bed. You turn off the lights but it takes you a while to fall asleep, probably because you can't stop thinking, what if you had pressed that button?


	10. Ghost Machine: Day 2

**Day 2.**

Next morning, you wake up at six, taking a shower, washing your hair, then drying it, and dressing up. You put on a white skinny jean, a white printed shirt with a black heart that looks like it's melting, studded black moto ankle boots, a pair of black camera-shaped earrings, an edgy star cuff, and your usual silver watch.

You pass some files into your USB driver, and sync your iPhone with new music before you put on your black blazer and head out.

When you're walking out of your appartment, you're so lost in your thoughts that you walk into someone. It's your neighbor. He's a few inches taller than your, has short brown hair and blue-gray eyes.

"Sorry," you apologize immediately.

"That's all right," he says with his Welsh accent. You feel out of place with your American accent, something that's been bugging you since you got to Cardiff, but what can you do? "I'm Gareth." He introduces himsellf, smiling.

"Lucy," you smile back.

"Heading out for work?" He asks you.

"Yeah," you reply. You both start walking toward the elevator. "You?"

"Yes. Busy day. You know, something weird happened last night," he starts, and you don't stop him. "So, the mall was closing and I was shutting the gates when a guy runs past and ducks under it and then this girl follows him. The gate's just about to reach the ground, you know? And she rolls under it and the gates close. Then these two guys come, one wearing a military coat, and they scream at me to open the gates…" He shakes his head. "Maybe it was the police."

You resister the urge to laugh, but you can't help but crack a smile. "Not exactly." He looks back at you in confusion. "The girl running? That was me."

His eyes widen. "Really?"

"Yeah. Tiring job, let me tell you." You say. You exit the elevator and walk into the street.

"Hey, I was thinking, what do you say we go out tonight? Have dinner or something?"

You're taken aback by his request, but honestly? You'd be lying if you said you didn't want to got on a date with someone, let alone someone this attractive. "Sure." You smile.

"Is tomorrow night all right?" He smiles back, looking almost relieved. You exchange numbers, and look at the time. You're late for work.

"Sure. Gotta go now. See ya around." You wave him goodbye and head toward the Hub. That was interesting.

* * *

Jack's researching the guys identity. He smiles, satisified when he gets the results. "Our friend with the alien machine in his pocket is... one... Sean Harris aka Bernie."

"That's his name," you snap your fingers in frustration. "Damn. I need a new brain." You put up a photo of Sean on the board. "Can't believe it. He's just ninteen yet he has…" You stop, reading his file out loud. "A string of convictions—burglary, shoplifting, credit cards..." You trail off. "I take it back. I _can_ believe it." Your mind drifts to the show Supernatural, but you still manage to catch Ianto's words.

"Do warn me if he's dropping in."

"The theft conviction—he was stealing tires off a car when the owner turns up, gives him so much grief, he apologizes. Starts putting them back on again which is when the police show up! And here—shoplifting conviction. Bottle of vodka and three Pot Noodles."

Owen, who's playing an arcade game, much to your disapproval, decides to drop in his usual comments. "A criminal mastermind." Then he turns to Jack. "Got anywhere with that not-so-mysterious object?"

"Alien, of course... Gorgeous nanotechnology, makes NASA look like Toys 'R' US." Jack answers vaguely.

"Well, you've really narrowed things down, haven't you?" Owen asks, sarcastically.

"I could find out more if I could," he mumbles a bit bitterly. No, not really. Or at least that's what you think, you've told them all you know about it.

"No cheating," you say loud enough for him to hear but low enough for it to seem like just a mumbling to everyone else.

"So, what next?" Tosh turns to Jack.

"Where does the kid live?" Jack asks.

"Splott," Tosh answers.

"Splott?" Owen questions, obviously wondering why there's a place called that.

"I believe estate agents pronounce it 'Sploe'." Ianto says and you can't help but chuckle.

* * *

You insisted they wouldn't find out much, but they decided to go anyway, Ianto staying behind, obviously. You and Tosh go check out his place. His mother opens the door, like you knew she would.

"Hi, I'm looking for Bernie, is he in?" Tosh asks timidly.

"Friends of his, are you?" Bernie's mom—mum?—asks.

"Yes, I'm from—" Bernie's mom cuts her off. _Rude_, you mentally point out.

"I'm his mother. He's a robbing little bastard who won't set foot in here till he pays me the fifty quid he owes me!" She slams the door on you, and you give Tosh an I-told-you-so kind of look.

Under the other's insistence, you keep interrogating people, but it's all useless. You end up buying something to eat at some weird place. You and Tosh are waiting at a table while Owen brings the foor.

"'Bernie Harris, the Scarlet Pimpernel of Splott.'" You remember Gwen's nickname for him, and mumble it, louder than you expected.

"Tell me about it. Give me aliens any day." Tosh says. Before you can say anything, Owen arrives with food. "Any luck?"

"Nope, but I got four pasties for a pound—anyone?" Owen offers. You take one and start eating it. You're the only one who notices Jack approaching, looking unhappy.

"I did tell you we wouldn't find anything on him." You point out.

"Yes, miss I-know-everything-and-everyone," Owen says sarcastically.

"Maybe you'll listen to me next time," you say, as you bring the food to your mouth again.

Jack approaches you and the others finally notice him and his unhappy expression. "We did try," Tosh says.

You folow Jack under a bridge, and you get the urge to get out of there soon. You remember what happens, what Owen saw, and you shiver at the thought.

"What's he gonna tell us? 'Got it off an alien down the market.'" Owen says.

"Where are we going?" You ask, absent-mindedly, too busy thinking about how you want to get out of there as fast as possible.

"Back to the railway station. Controlled experiment. We replicate the original events as far as possible. Observe and analyze the results." He explains.

"What? That's useless," You say before you can stop yourself. Jack glares at you.

"Any volunteers?" He asks, with a deep commanding voice. He tosses the device to Owen.

"Whoa!" Owen says, catching it.

You start worrying, and getting a bit scared. This is when it happens. "Okay then, let's go," you agree with him, wanting to leave the place immediately.

Owen stops and looks at the machine. You stop too.

"Uh, I don't mean to be picky, but I think I can spot some flaws in this—"

He doesn't get a chance to finish his sentence as Jack interrupts him, irritated. "I'm sorry, I thought you gave up looking for a 19-year-old kid this morning? I figured maybe you were after something more exciting. A bit of a challenge."

Jack turns around and starts to leave.

"This door-to-door stuff never gets us anywhere." Owen comments, then says, "Guys, come here!"

You turn around as fast as you can and scream a little too loud, "Don't press the button!"

Too late.

He's pressed it. Even if it won't seem like it. You walk toward him, Tosh and Jack following you, alarmed by your sudden scream.

Soon, you're all surrounding him, as he comes back with you, panting. He looks terrified, and you know why. You can also understand why he looks so shaken.

"Owen, are you all right?" Tosh asks.

"She—she was so scared! I-I-I couldn't—I couldn't move! I couldn't help her!"

You take the machine away from him, and gulp. He did see that after all.

* * *

"The victim's name was Lizzie. It was maybe 40, 45 years ago. Toshiko, do we know anything about her yet?" Jack asks. You're back at the Hub, looking for Lizzie—Elizabeth—and even though you could say it all by yourself, Jack has warned you not to tell the rest, so you can't just go on, telling everything you know. Not to the team, just Jack. And he's cross at you—all of you—because you couldn't find Sean. But you know it's not the right time. You'll find him later, but not now.

"Elizabeth Lewis. Lizzie. Only child of Mabel Ann Lewis of Hafod Street. Died March 29th, 1963. Raped and murdered on Penfro Street, under the bridge. Seventeen years old." Tosh reports.

"He killed her." Owen says, sounding far away. You feel really bad for him, you wish you'd taken his place.

"No one was brought to trial," Tosh points out.

"She told her Mum she'd be home by nine. So what about Ed Morgan? That's what she called him. 'You're a bad one, Ed Morgan'. Look him up." Owen asks her.

You want to say something about Ed, but you don't need the warning look Jack gives you to think about it again. If you do tell him, Owen will kill him. If anything, you want that guy to live, because he obviously regrets what he did.

"It's kind of a common name," Tosh says.

"So is Elizabeth Lewis," you point out.

All of a sudden, Jack exclaims, "Quantum transducer!" He points at an image in his computer's screen. "Look."

Tosh abandons Owen's request and looks at what Jack is pointing. Owen, though, is still looking through files.

"Wow. I'd kill to get one of those. Transducers convert energy from one form into another. They're in headphones. They convert electrical signals into sound. And they're in this device too converting quantum energy and amplifying it." Tosh explains.

"It's emotion. Human emotion is energy. You can't always see it, or hear it, but you can feel it." You say absent-mindedly. This time you're not quoting Gwen, but Jack.

"Exactly," Jack says. Tosh goes and sits next to Owen.

"What else have we got on Lizzie Lewis, what else have we got?" Owen asks.

Tosh heads back to her computer. "Um. 1963—the records aren't always that detailed."

"What about newspapers? Witness statements, coroners' reports." Owen asks, frantically. He's desperate, and you know it. You sigh.

"Owen!" Jack says, but Owen ignores him.

"What do you want me to find exactly?" Tosh asks him.

"Well, there must be something!" Owen exclaims, frustated.

"For the case to be re-opened, you need new evidence, or a new witness." Jack says.

"I saw it happen," Owen says angrily.

"No, you didn't! You weren't there. You saw the echo of a moment, amplified by alien technology. So just tell me how that will play in court?" Jack says.

"Technically he did see it," you point out. Jack glares at you. _Not helping_, you can hear him saying. "Won't help in court but still."

"Well, since when did we care about court?" Owen demands.

"Tomorrow we go looking for Bernie Harris and find out what he knows about this ghost machine and get the other half. We do our job and find where this thing came from. Now, go home." Jack orders. Owen doesn't move though, and you know he's not going to drop the subject. _Understandable_, you think. "Lucy, with me!"

* * *

You follow him through the corridors until you reach the firing range. Even though this happened to Gwen, you hadn't expected this to happen to you. You grin. "This is awesome," you mumble.

Jack raises an eyebrow at your words, but doesn't comment. "You need to know how to use these. Though I hope you never have to."

"With this job?" You ask and he doesn't reply. You shake your head a little, incredulously. "Can't believe it. I don't even kill spiders." _They're too frightening, I can't even get near one_, you think but don't say it out loud.

"Nor do I, not with a gun." Jack says, and you chuckle. Jack motions the target. "It's all yours."

You put on eye and ear gear. Jack shows you how to insert the cartridge. He offers you the gun and you take it. It feels strange, out of place, in your hands. Suddenly, you're all nervous. What if you fail and kill someone in the process? Jack? Yourself? _At least Jack'll come back to life_, you think.

You mumble Jack's instructions to Gwen as you turn towards the target. "Target's that way—let's leave the roof in one piece." You remove a hand from the gun, just before Jack can point that out to you. "One hand, not two."

That's it, that's all you remember. It's like your mind's been wiped clean. You stand in front of the target and point your gun at it. Jack turns your shoulder so you're facing the side. "Turn sideways to the target." He says.

_Right_, you think. He stands behind you and brushes your hair away from your neck. He puts his hand on your shoulder and guides his hand down your arm and toward the gun.

"Looking along your shoulder, down your arm, a straight line to the sights." He instructs, and you do what he says. He pretends he's holding a gun and brings it up toward the target. "Bring up the gun." He says.

You try not to do it as fast as Gwen did, but you end up doing it so slow, Jack grabs your arm.

"Too slow," he says. He puts his hand over yours and brings up the gun toward the target. "It's all in the breathing. Hold it firmly, don't grip it." He reaches over and cocks the gun, taking up his position behind you again. This time, he holds your hips firmly against his and you gulp. "Breathe in." He says, taking a breath in with you. "Focus." He holds your hand steadily at the target. "Breathe out." You do. "Squeeze gently." You fire. The bullet hits the bullseye on the right shoulder of the attacking weevil. Not a lethal shot.

"Awesome," you mumble. He hugs you to him, and you roll your eyes. "You're just like Cas." You can't help but slip in a reference of one of your favorite TV shows. "Do you know what personal space is?"

"Don't pretend you weren't enjoying it." He says.

"Like Ianto said once, that's harrassment. And I've got a gun." You show him the gun, as if to prove your point.

"And I can't die." He points out.

"True. Doesn't mean that I can't shoot you repeatedly… Not that I'd do that, though. 'M not that cruel."

Jack stays quiet for a minute. Then says, "Try it again. On your own, and remember, breathe in."

He lets you go this time, and gives you your personal space back. You fire twice. Then he teaches you how to replace the cartridge, how to cock a gun, gives you some advices, then shows you other type of guns and also teaches your how to use them. You even try firing with two guns, one in each hand.

When you're finished, you're grinning, and you both remove your gears.

"That was awesome," you say, again.

"Nice work! Like I said, I hope you never have to use 'em." Jack says.

"Doubt it." You singsong. You look at your watch. It's nine pm already. "Jesus Christ. It's late." You look around. And remember how the conversation with Gwen went, the one about him living at the Hub. "Gotta be ready, the 21st century's when it all changes," he'd said. "And I hate to commute." You smile to yourself and shake your head. "Good night," you wave at him before going back up.


	11. Ghost Machine: Day 3

**Day 3.**

You woke up late this time. Like, seriously late. You stayed up until 4 am last night. It's about 12 pm when you wake up, and you check you phone. You've got 12 missed calls.

"You guys are worst than my mom," you mumble to yourself while you rub your eyes. You take a shower and change clothes. Today, you're wearing cyan skinny jeans, a long-sleeved plaid shirt with different tones of blue and a cerulean tank top underneath. You put on a dark blue leather triple wrap bracelet, your silver watch, and before you head out, you put on your black and blue Puma dance sneakers.

You practically run to the Hub, just to get inside the SUV and go to meet Owen, who's caught Bernie. You know how he found him, and you shake your head. You don't want Owen involved with that, but what can you do.

When you reach them, sitting together in a bar, Jack's first comment is, "Well this is cozy." Then he says to Bernie "I hope he bought you flowers." You chuckle. That comment reminds you you've got a date tonight. You smile at the thought.

"If this is about the dodgy fags, I don't know what happened to 'em." Bernie says.

Jack puts the machine on the table. "Well. Is it worth knowing, we're probably the only people you can tell." Jack says.

"Me and a mate was using this lock up, down on Moira Street. Used to belong to this old guy. Soft in the head, he was. Still loads of his stuff in there but we chucked most of it. There was this old biscuit tin full of foreign coins, weird bits of rock, and that. Thought it might be worth something. I might take it down the _Antiques Roadshow_. Yeah." Owen laughs. "You don't know. _Cash In The Attic_, and all that. So I take the tin home with me and that thing switched itself on. It makes you see things. Real things. Real people. I was down the Old Wharf, in the bay. I seen this woman, with a bundle, something wrapped up. It was night time and she was putting it into the water all secret like. It was weird 'cause it was like I was her, somehow. She was scared, because she knew what she was doing was wrong. I knew, without seeing. It was her baby, wrapped up. Dead. She hadn't told anyone. Then she just ran away. And I realized, I knew her. She's old now, but she lives up by the Catholic Church in Splott. So I go up to see her. Told her what I'd seen. She give me money not to tell anyone else."

"You blackmailed her?" Owen asks.

Bernie shakes his head. "She offered. Look, I've seen things you wouldn't believe. There's the old bridge, on Penfro Street." Owen nods. This is the bridge you were underneath when Owen pushed the button. "I saw a man... and a girl, from ages ago. He was following her back from a dance, along the canal..."

"Yeah." Owen turns to Jack. "I know. I saw it. He doesn't know anything, does he?"

"Bernie, it's been fascinating meeting you, Jack says, picking up the device. "Now, if you could give us the other half?"

"How—how'd you know about that?" Bernie stammers.

"Doesn't matter." Jack says. "Just give us the other half."

* * *

Bernie guides you back to his appartment. He gives Jack the other half while he looks at it, then gives it to Tosh, who looks at it as well. You're looking around you, remembering the place so you know when to come back—Shit! You've got to come back! What about your date? You start looking through the items in the tin container while Bernie's sitting, chewing his nails nervously.

"Alien rock. Alien money. Driftwood, washing in through the rift." Jack comments. "So, Bernie. Was this thing in two halves when you found it?"

Before he can answer, Tosh joins the two pieces. "I've got it... Like clicking Lego together."

Jack takes it from Tosh. Tosh goes and looks through the tin, like you did a little before.

"C'mon, you lot." Owen says and heads to the door, Tosh follows close behind, after grabbing the tin.

"We'll take these too, if you don't mind."

"Come on, you lot!" Owen calls from outside.

"Aren't you gonna arrest me?" He asks.

"No. We're not the police. " Jack says.

"But I robbed them."

"I know."

"And you're going to rob it back off me." Bernie says.

"So call the cops." Jack leaves, and you hesitate before following him. Bernie calls out for you, asking you not to go. You turn around and raise an eyebrow.

"I only used it once... That half. Anyway I couldn't use it again." He says.

"I know." You say. "Do something for me." He nods. "Pack up your things and leave. Ed Morgan? He's coming after you tonight, so get the hell out of here before he comes."

Just when Bernie's about to ask you something, Jack pops his head back in. "Come on, Lucy!" He leaves again.

"I'm gonna be twenty in July. Do I die before then?" He figures you know that he "dies".

"If you don't get out of here now, you probably will. I'm sorry."

"LUCY!" You hear Jack's voice again and roll your eyes.

"I'M COMING! WOULD IT KILL YOU TO WAIT A SECOND?" You reply. "Again, I'm sorry, but you _really_ have to leave."

Bernie nods, and starts packing frantically. You breathe out a sigh of relief, and leave. You have to join the others.

"We need to go to Ed Morgan's residence, _now_." You say as you enter the SUV with the rest.

"Why?" Jack asks.

"Because he's going to try and kill Bernie tonight." You answer immediately. Who cares if Owen and Tosh find out? This is important. You don't want Ed to die. He seems like he really regrets what he's done. You don't mean that he has to go without judgment, but he doesn't deserve death. Sometimes, you wonder if anyone does.

"How'd you know that?" Owen asks.

"Not the point," you answer. "Just drive." Owen looks at Jack for confirmation, who analyses you, then turns back to Owen and nods.

* * *

When you get there, it's sunset. You look at your watch: 6 pm. You might want to get back to your appartment and get ready for your date._ But this is more important_, you remind yourself.

You all head in. Owen is furious, and so is Ed Morgan.

"I told you to leave me alone!" He raises a knife, menacing. Owen disarms him easily, the knife in his hands. Jack grabs Ed's arms, preventing him from moving.

Owen stares at the night, and you swallow. You know what he's going to do.

"I've got it," Owen whispers.

"Owen." Jack exclaims, trying to catch Owen's attention. But his attention's solely on Ed and the knife.

"I've got the knife. I've got the knife, Edwin." He makes a step toward Edwin, and you do too. You've got to stop him. "You were so close…" Jack drop Edwin's arms, and backs away. Owen does the opposite, and trails the knife over Edwin's chest, not hurting him, but he's frightening everyone in the room. "So close…" He repeats. "As close as I am now." You remember Gwen's vision of her future self, and can't stop yourself from shivering. "Why should you get away with it?"

"Owen." Jack repeats.

"You said you were sorry, that you didn't want to hurt her, but you didn't stop."

"Owen!" Jack yells.

Owen moves the knife to Ed's cheek. "What if I didn't stop? Would I be sorry? "

"Owen!" You say his name, firmly. "Yes you would," you don't know that for sure, but you say it anyway, "Now back off."

Owen doesn't seem to hear you, but just like in the episode, he moves the knife away from him, and you take the knife away from him, careful to hold the blade looking down when you've got it. No need to repeat the same mistake again.

"I knew you'd come for me." Ed says, and grabs you. You smile awkwardly and move away from him.

"Sure. Try not to commit any murders, 'kay?" You look at your watch, and curse. "Shit!" It's 7 pm. You give the knife to Tosh. "I've gotta go. You'll take care of the rest, right?" You don't wait for an answer, but run away and to the nearest subway station. Good thing your date's at eight. But still…

At least you've saved a life. You didn't kill Edwin, Owen didn't either. It's nice, when you know you've done good. Saved people's lives, even if, technically, you were cheating. And, honestly? This is the best you could've asked for.


	12. Ghost Machine: Bonus Chapter

**The Ghost Machine.**

Owen emptied his glass of scotch in record time. He was alone, in his flat, and for once, he didn't feel like going out. If he'd been in the mood, he would be having a night out, as usual, but with the whole Ghost Machine business, he wasn't feeling in the mood for anything other than sukling. He refilled his glass, and made a toast to nothing and no one in particular, before draining it as well. He was starting to feel the alcohol kicking in, and if he'd been more careful, he wouldn't have refilled. But he was Owen Harper. He wasn't exactly known for his carefulness.

Just when he was about to drain his third glass, his phone rang. "Yeah?" He picked up, a bit harshly than he intended to. He'd gotten drunk rather quickly, he realized, when he was used to drinking all night. He came to the conclusion that it was because he hadn't eaten anything all day, and he was draining his glasses rather quickly.

"Owen? Are you all right?" It was Tosh.

"Why wouldn't I be?" He retorted, as harshly as before.

"Well, I mean, we saw Edwin Morgan and I know you weren't happy to—" Tosh started to explain herself, but Owen cut her off, not really caring if he was being rude.

"I almost murdered him, Tosh, of course I wasn't _happy_." He spat out.

"No, I understand—" Tosh tried again but Owen interrupted her again.

"No, you don't understand. Let me explain this to you. Edwin Morgan raped and killed a young girl and now he doesn't get any punishment. Do you think that's fair?" Owen ranted.

"No, Owen, of course no—"

"Goodbye, Tosh." Owen hung up. He definitely wasn't in the mood for talking. He drained his glass, and refilled. "I'm sorry, Lizzie." He muttered.

He realized he'd been crying all along the next morning, when he woke up, and he could feel dry tears on his cheeks.


	13. Cyberwoman: Day 1

**Day 1.**

"Okay! Come on, Lucy!" Owen says.

You try to get in the clear but Jack picks you up and places you on the side. You punch him in the arm. "You're cheating!"

He just laughs. You look out of the corner of your eye and see Ianto. You smile and wave at him, knowing no one else is going to acknowledge his presence for at least a while. He looks troubled, and your smile fades away almost instantly. You turn back to your basketball game almost immediately, though.

The joy's all gone from you. You recognize the signs. You're playing basketball, and Ianto comes in, looking perturbed, with no one aknowledging him… This is it. The episode you dreaded the most.

Cyberwoman.

The one with Lisa.

Lisa Hallett, Ianto's girlfriend.

Soon-to-be ex-girlfriend.

You push those thoughts away and as you return to the game, your smile comes back little by little.

Owen stands up at the workstation platform, the ball in his hands.

"Lucy, this is for you, baby! Come on!" He throws the ball, but before you can catch it, Jack intercepts it. You do your best to look offended but you end up laughing and the game goes on. "Just get it off him!" Owen yells. "Oi!"

You take the ball from Jack and toss it up to Owen. He's still on the second floor, on the workstation platform.

"Oh, come to Daddy!" He says as he grabs the ball. He moves a couple of steps and drops the ball into the basket. It touches nothing but the net. "YES! First round's on you, boss!" He says, cheerily. You try to maintain that optimism but you fail as soon as your eyes meet Ianto's. "Girls, get your handbags!" Owen says.

You have an inner battle between staying or leaving, but you decide to leave. You're sure Ianto doesn't want you there. He might be scared of what you'll do if you found out, but of course you already know. He just doesn't know. No one knows.

You didn't bring a bag, so instead you grab your brown cropped leather jacket, and put back on your silver dreamcatcher charm necklace that you'd taken off to play.

You wave goodbye at Ianto and say, "Later." He smiles politely and mumbles the same thing, but you can tell there's something bothering him. And of course, you know what it is.

If there was a cure for cybermen, you'd help him, because no one deserves to go through what he did. Does. Whatever.

Actually, there might be one… You shake your head. It's not 100% effective.

"Of course, that was an illegal move." Jack protests as you head out.

"Totally illegal!" Tosh agrees.

"Yeah, keep telling yourself that, yeah. Losers. Bye." Owen says as he leaves. When Jack's about to cross the door, he tosses the ball to Ianto. The only thing he's done to acknowledge his presence since he came in. You sigh, and follow Jack out.

* * *

You spend the whole day at the bar, joking and laughing, but Jack can tell there's something off about you. You refuse to say anything, though, and try to cheer up, but it's useless.

When you walk out of the bar, it's nighttime. When you entered the bar, the sun was still high up. You sigh and follow the group. They're talking about something to do with an UFO sighting in Cardigan Bay. You only half-listen, too busy trying to make some plans to make the damage less horrible—because it is.

"Lucy? You there?" Owen starts snapping his fingers in front of your eyes and you jump a little. Then you realize they're all staring at you.

"Yeah. Just thinking," you answer vaguely.

"About how gorgeous I'd look as an alien?" Owen jokes, and you chuckle but don't say anything. Now they've all noticed there's something off with you. But how can you not act this way? There's something terrible happening, and your stomach churns at the thought. You enter the SUV and head to the Hub.

You zone out again, and when you're walking toward the Hub, you don't have to force yourself to switch to an alert position, it's automatic. You notice everything around you, how the fresh air of the night passes softly over you, and you shiver a little, even though it's not cold. You notice everyone's steps, you can even distinguish them. It's strange, at least for you. You're not yet used to the feeling.

"All I'm saying is, once in a while, I'd like to drive!" Tosh says.

"And all I'm saying is no!" Owen replies.

"Why not?!" Tosh demands.

"Look, I've shared cars with women before. I know what'll happen. There'll be an emergency, we're all raring to go, I jump in, what do I find? Seat's in the wrong position, the rear view mirror's out of line and the steering wheel's in my crotch. Time it takes to sort it all out, aliens'll have taken Newport." Owen complains. Jack laughs but you glare at him. "What?"

"Here's a new rule for you: never judge a woman by other women and never judge other women by one woman." You say. He rolls his eyes, but doesn't reply.

You enter the Hub, and as soon as you do, Jack starts giving orders. "Tosh, call up the radar within a fifty-mile radius of the Bay for the last six hours. Lucy, check with that man—Neil, I think his name was, voice like Sean Connery—at Jodrell Bank. See if they picked up any chatter around the time of the sightings. Owen, access the airspace provision over Cardigan Bay, also any RAF flight plans, see if it's just a case of mistaken identity."

Everyone heads to their workstations, you included. And of course, you're the only one who notices Ianto arriving and straightening his jacket. He slips out of your sight before you can greet him. You start making the phone call.

"Neil? This is Lucy Blake from Torchwood. Always after something, you say? Yep, that sounds like us." You joke.

"Ianto!" Jack calls out and you can't help but turn around a bit to see them, and maybe eavesdrop into their conversation. Ianto stops, and you know he's sacred he's been caught. And for a moment, you are too. What if he didn't keep his promise and read the transcript? "Would you work some coffee magic?" You sigh in relief as Ianto turns around and Jack puts his hands together, a "please" sign. Ianto nods and walks away. You watch him leave as you force yourself to return to the conversation you were having on the phone.

When the lights start flickering, you curse out loud, without thinking. "Shit."

"Internal power drain," Tosh informs.

"It must be something big to drain that amount of power. Tosh, run a system diagnostic." Jack orders.

"Actually," Ianto speaks up, and you know why he does that. You also know he's lying, but you don't contradict him, "we've been having generator problems all evening. I was down there checking earlier. Couple of bits of cabling have come loose. I thought I'd fixed it." Everyone looks at him. "Let me have another look." He proposes.

"Fine. Go check." Jack says. You have the sudden urge to go with Ianto, but you know he won't let you. Still, you can't help but offer.

"I'll help you."

"It's fine," Ianto says. You don't insist. Instead, you wait until everyone else is busy and you slip through the door, following Ianto. You hurry to catch up with him. He notices you and starts stressing. "What are you doing?" He asks.

"I said I'd help you. And…" You look around, just to make sure no one's followed you. "And I know what's really going on."

Ianto's expression darkens. "How?"

"Would you believe me if I told you I'm not from here?" You ask.

"What? Like, not from Earth or from this time period?"

"No…" You shake your head. "Not exactly. It's… It's too complicated, never mind."

"Does Jack know?" Ianto asks.

"About me? Yeah. About Lisa… No. I haven't told him. Wanted to try something first." You admit. Ianto tenses. "Don't worry, I'm not going to experiment on her or kill her or anything, but I know there's a way of turning fully converted cybermen back to humans… I'm not sure if it'll work on her, though."

"You know how to save her?" Ianto asks, hopeful.

"No, I—I mean yes. I'm just not sure it'll work. The Doctor said—" You cut yourself off. "Never mind that. The Doctor could be wrong." You know that's not exactly possible, the Doctor having been around for about 900 years, if he knows something, he's not wrong about it. "But if you can remind her of her humanity, maybe she'll come back." You look at him in the eye while you say that, before turning back toward the end of the corridor, as you walk along with Ianto.

"There's something I don't understand. You say I have to remind her of her humanity, but she's not fully converted." Ianto says.

"I'm sorry, but she is. I don't know if it's a side effect from the whole operation you were working on while we were at the bar." You catch him looking at you, and you guess he's wondering how you can possibly know about that. "Yes, I know about that, long story, not the time. The thing is, it could be a side effect, or else she stopped fighting the conversion because she thought she would be all right, that she was saved, and that's how the conversion completed itself."

"You seem to know a lot about the cybermen." Ianto remarks.

"Yeah…" You wince. "Too many episodes…" You mumble. Before Ianto can process what you said, you continue. "Anyway, I'll have to tell Jack and the others if it doesn't work."

"No!" Ianto turns desperately toward you. "They'll kill her!"

"_If_ it doesn't work." You repeat. "Because if it doesn't work, she'll kill us all. But if you can save her, I won't tell them, because she will be fine, and won't feel murderous or anything." You try to joke, but it comes out too serious. You sigh and stop at the door. "I won't come in, Ianto. "And please, remember Lisa as she was before, because if you let this version of her get to you… Look, just try to bring her back before you try to dispose of the body."

"What are you talking about?" Ianto looks at you, eyes wide open.

You shake your head, sadly. "Just go inside."

He does just that.

* * *

You try really hard not to hear how Ianto starts yelling at Lisa, panicking and crying. You even start crying yourself, but silently. Tears roll down you face, and you wipe them away fast. You don't now when Ianto's going to walk out. Then you hear him try to bring her back, but Lisa stays firm. She won't budge, and you know, she's lost forever. Only her child crying could possibly bring her back, but she doesn't have a child. You feel sorry for Lisa, and Ianto. You can't possibly _not_ feel sorry for them.

When Ianto comes out, dragging the Japanese guy's body, you know you have to tell Jack.

"I'll tell them." You say.

"No. Please, I just have to keep trying. Maybe it doesn't work the first time. Maybe…"

"Look," when he doesn't keep talking, you say firmly, "I'll try to get them not to kill her for a while, enough for you to dispose of him," you gulp when you look down at the doctor, "but I have to tell them. With Lisa fully converted, we're at risk here. Now, I won't kill her, you have my word. I've never killed anyone before, I don't want Lisa to be the first person I kill. I just have to tell them."

"I won't be able to talk you out of it, am I?"

"No. I'm sorry, I'm so sorry." And you are, you really are.

You can tell Ianto's divided between his love for Lisa and his devotion to his work. And you hope he just gets to the conclusion that you're on his side. You don't tell him that, because he might think you're trying to convince him just to betray him. But you're being honest with him, at least as honest as you can be.

"Just… Don't tell them she killed someone already." He pleads, and you can see his eyes shining with unshead tears. He doesn't want to cry in front of you, you realize.

"I promise." You look one last time and the storage room, then look back at Ianto. "Good luck." And you run up to the main room.

* * *

"I'm thinking we're under attack. Security's been breached. We assume battle protocols." You hear Jack's voice as you come back to the main room.

"That's impossible! Nobody can get in without triggering seven separate alarms." You hear Tosh protesting. You take a deep breath, and run up to where they are.

"Yeah, well, looks like our system needs to be upgraded." Jack says, and you regret his choice of words.

"I know what it is." You say immediately.

"I was wondering where you were." Jack looks suspiciously at you.

"Are you listening to me or not? Everybody stay here, no one's going down. There are parts of a cyber conversion unit in the storage room, fully powered and working."

"This is no time to be kidding around." Jack warns.

You can't panic. You have to control yourself. You take a deep breath. "Do I look like I'm fucking joking around?" You grit your teeth.

"I'll head down and look for Ianto." Owen says.

"No way, you'll get yourself killed!" You contradict him immediately. You know you're in no position to give orders to anyone, you're the newbie after all. But still, you're the one who knows a lot about the cybermen and how to kill them. You also know who that cyberwoman really is and how much she matters to Ianto.

"Someone has to go get Ianto!" Owen responds.

"She won't kill him! Not yet! She'll try to get to us first." You clarify. "Ianto's not in any danger."

"And why should we believe you?" Owen questions.

"Owen's right," Jack says. "You knew about this all along, didn't you?"

You don't want to answer. They'll stop trusting you as much as they'll stop trusting Ianto. But you have to answer. There's no other choice. "Ever since I figured out where you were in your timelines. Before you ask," you say when you see Jack about to snap something at you, "I didn't say anything because I can't mess with your timelines like that and because I know a way to save her. Or at least it should work but…" You shake your head. "Forget it, you don't care about my motives anyway, you'll see me as a traitor. Whatever. I don't blame you, really, but listen to me just this once. If any of you go down there and get trapped, Lisa's going to try and convert you. We'd have to go on lockdown to save you and that's just really risky."

"Then what should we do?" Jack asks you bitterly and sarcastically. "Let everyone here get killed?"

"No. If it gets to a point where it's either kill or get killed… Then consider me out of your way. But now it isn't, and I'm going to do this the way the Doctor would, if it was just another alien. Everyone deserves a chance. Like when the Doctor first met you," you look at Jack, "in 1941, I think, and everybody lived. He said so, he was shouting, 'Everybody lives, Rose, everybody lives'. I'm not sure you could hear him, but we need more days like that. And I know how dangerous the cybermen are. Hell, I remember Canary Wharf, crystal clear, but if there's a chance to save everyone, I'm gonna take that chance."

Technically, you know it's too late for that. The Japanese doctor already died. But that's the reason you want everyone else to live. You're a bit like the Doctor, not killing unless absolutely necessary.

Just then, Ianto arrives, sadness etched on his face.

"Ianto, are you okay?" Jack rushes to him, and it might seem romantic but there's a big moodkiller here, and that's Lisa. Well, that and how Ianto's obviously _not_ okay. I mean, of course not. His girlfriend who he thought could be saved might actually die—for real this time.

"Did you see her on your way here?" You ask him. He shakes his head. "Okay…" This has taken a totally different route from the episode's, but you still know enough to know what Lisa's next move is. "She's going to come here next, probably." You start doubting. You remember Ianto recalling Lisa's humanity to her during most of the episode, and it never worked. Still, you wonder if there's a possibility this could change, here and now. You certainely hope so. But you know that as soon as Lisa shows signs of wanting to convert or kill someone, you won't stop whoever kills her. You won't even complain. The thought makes you feel sick. When did you stop caring about murder?

"We have to get out of here." Jack says.

"No! I'm not leaving without her!" Ianto exclaims. You wince. This is not going to be pretty.

Jack reads through the lines. He gets angry, and you can understand why. "Did you know that thing was down there?" Jack still hasn't seen Lisa, but he's smart enough to have connected the dots. He knows Lisa is the cyberman—cyberwoman—because there is no other way what you'd said would make any sense.

When Ianto doesn't answer, Jack pulls out a gun and points at him. Tosh cries out, "Jack, for God's sake, what are you doing?"

"On your knees! Hands above your head!" Ianto does as he is told. This is exactly what you wanted to avoid. "Did you know that thing was down there?" Jack repeats.

"I put it there." Ianto admits. It's useless to lie now, and Ianto knows that. You know this scene by heart, mostly because it was sad and kinda broke your heart a bit.

"You hid a Cyberman within Torchwood?! And you didn't tell us? What else are you keeping from us?" Jack demands.

"Like you care. I clear up your shit. No questions asked and that's the way you like it. When did you last ask me anything about my life?" Ianto says. You can't help but feel sad and a bit frustrated. Ianto's telling the truth, and that kind of hurts.

Jack put his weapon down. He knows Ianto's telling the truth about that, but it still doesn't excuse him for putting the whole team in danger. You know Jack's lived many betrayals during his lifetime, one still too recent. _Bloody Alex_, you think.

"Her name's Lisa. She's my girlfriend." Ianto says.

Gwen isn't here, so it can't be her who asks. Instead, it's Tosh. "Why didn't you tell us?" She doesn't say the "we could've helped you" bit and you're kind of grateful for that because that would've been a lie.

"Torchwood exists to destroy alien threats. Why would I tell you about her?" Ianto says, and he has a point.

"A little loyalty, perhaps?" Owen asks.

"My loyalty's to her! She worked for Torchwood. She was caught up in battle. I owe it to Lisa—_we_ owe it to her... to find a cure." Ianto says in such a hopeful way it kind of breaks your heart a little.

"Ianto, you have to believe me. There is no cure. There never will be. Those who are converted stay that way. Your girlfriend will not be the exception." Jack says, a little too harshly.

"That's not true!" That's where you come in. "There is an exception. I don't remember his name… Craig, I think. Anyway, he was turned into a cyberman, his conversion was completed and then he heard his son crying and it awakened his emotions. And he was human again. The Doctor had figured it out. So, I'm sorry if I trust the Doctor more than you when it comes to, well, 'alien threats'," you say. Jack glares at him, and if looks could kill, you'd be dead in a split second.

"Look, you both need to know what's happening here. Because this is where these things start. Small decisions that become mass slaughter. These creatures regain a foothold by exploiting human weakness. Then they take a base. Rebuild their forces. And before you know it, the Cyber race is spreading out across the universe, erasing worlds, assimilating populations. All because of the tiny beginnings here. We need to stop her... _together_!"

You hate to admit that he's right. If it doesn't work, Lisa will kill everyone in her way. You shut your eyes tight for a second. You need to think clearly. You focus on slowing your breathing and nothing else. Jack is right, and there's nothing to do about Lisa. Still, you decide to give it one last try, because you know she'll be here soon.

"You're not listening to me! The conversion was never completed!" Ianto stands up. He's not giving up on her, and you know that. Jack doesn't respond and you see how Ianto becomes more desperate by the minute. "I'm not giving up on her. I love her. Can you understand that, Jack? Haven't you ever loved anyone?"

You know he has loved, and will love again, and that's just really sad because Jack's immortal. He'll live on, try to carry on, and he'll freak out if he starts forgetting the people he loved once, and probably still loves.

Jack turns to Tosh. "Activate total shutdown procedure and you and Owen get yourselves to safety. We'll meet you outside." Shit. Jack wants you with him. You've really messed things up. "Oh, and before you go, when you get to the reception, open the panel next to the desk, pull it out." He grabs two containers and hands them to Tosh. "Take circuit 357 from the main system and patch it to these. There should be enough power in there for what we need. Once the main circuit goes live, get out. Meet us by the water tower."

"Let me talk to her. I can still save her. Save all of us. She's not a monster." Ianto pleads. You look at Jack. He's still your boss after all.

"Fine, but if it doesn't work, we're getting the hell out of here." Jack says. Then he pulls you apart, away from Ianto, and the rest of the team. Tosh is already working on the shutdown, and Owen's gathering a few weapons they might need. "Is there something else you're keeping from us?" He hisses.

Other than their entire future? You shake your head. You know he's asking for something like this, something hidden inside the Hub that could kill them. And you know there's no such thing… Up until Torchwood: Children of the Earth but if you're still around by then, you'll make sure that doesn't happen.

You know he won't trust you easily anymore, but just when Owen and Tosh head out, Lisa comes in. Owen wants to come back, and so does Tosh, but Jack yells at them to leave. They do, reluctantly.

You stay back, next to Jack, and watch Ianto as he tries to get Lisa to listen to him.

"Lisa…" Ianto calls out, and Lisa turns to look at him. "It's me."

"The army will be rebuilt from here. This building is suitable." She says in a mechanical voice. You remember this part very well. Still, you try to hold on to hope. Maybe this time something will change. Maybe…

"Who are you?" Jack asks.

"Human point two." She replies, still in that mechanical voice.

"No! Lisa…" Ianto protests, but both Lisa and Jack ignore him.

"Then how come you look like human point one?"

"I do not understand."

"Look at yourself. Go ahead." Jack says.

"Remember, Lisa. Remember who you are." Ianto says, his voice so full of hope it breaks your heart.

"The upgrade is incomplete." She states.

"You're still human." Ianto moves closer to her, and you know how this goes.

"I am... disgusting. I have... I am... _wrong_." She's still staring at herself.

"We can help you." Ianto offers.

"I must start again. Upgrade properly." She says, more to herself than to the rest of you, and you shake your head, then look at Jack. It won't change. You know it, and you let it go. If she has to die, then so be it. You also know what Tosh is going to do and you need to save the girl—what was her name again? Anna? Annie?—and if you already let Lisa kill Doctor Tanizaki—you finally remember his name—you know for a fact that you won't let her kill someone else.

Jack raises an eyebrow, and you say in a low voice, "It's more or less what I remember. I don't think it's going to change." You can't keep sadness out of your voice, but at least you're not crying, and that's all you can do to hide your sadness, right now.

"For God's sake! Have you heard yourself? Lisa, please. I brought you here to heal you. So we could be together." You wince at that. You know it's not going to work. Jack's still waiting, but more alert this time, ready to intervene as soon as it gets dangerous.

"Together. Yes. Transplant my brain into your body." Ianto cries. "The two of us... together. Fused. We'll be one complete person. Isn't that what love is?"

"No." He's really crying now, tears running freely down his cheeks, and it hurts more than the first time you saw the episode. Because this is real. This is really happening. And now you're a part of it. You could have prevented this. But you didn't. And you can't help but blame yourself for it.

"Then we are not compatible." She grabs him and throws him across the water running through the Hub.

"Shit." You curse, eyes widening, and suddenly alert, adrenaline running through your veins. You look around. You don't plan on staying still, like Gwen did. Owen's not here to save you, since he's with Tosh.

Jack raises his gun at Lisa but you know it won't work. You don't bother on telling him because when you're about to do it, she fires electricity at him, and he cries out as he drops his gun.

"Code Nine maneuvers. Go!" He yells at you, and you don't question it. You start running toward Owen's medical bay, just until you remember it's a dead end. Before Lisa can reach you, you start running the other way, running past Lisa as far as you can before she can reach you, and into the gun range. There, you try to get a gun, even though you know it's not going to be that efficient, you can't help but wanting—no, _needing_—a weapon to reassure yourself.

Not even a full minute has passed since you came in and armed yourself, and you're impatient, wanting to run. _Is this how it feels to travel with the Doctor all the time?_ You wonder. _All the running…_ You shake those thoughts out of your head, and peak out the door. Lisa's slow, but surely coming your way. You're cornered, again. The only way out that doesn't involve crossing paths with Lisa again is going through the kitchen. You sigh, and glance at Lisa before making a run for it, again. She's moving faster, you notice. Trying to catch up with you.

You're panting, but you still will yourself to go faster. You don't want to die. Not really. You're not like Jack. If you die, it's permanent, and you're totally aware of that, and it's the reason why you will yourself to go faster again, fearing Lisa might be approaching you.

When you're almost out the kitchen, out of instinct, you stop, turn around, shoot Lisa three times—first shot not very accurate but the two others get her in the stomach—and she yells. You start running again, and stop by the tourist entrance or invisible lift. You don't know what its name really is, and you really don't care at the moment.

Jack and Ianto are soon with you, but Ianto rushes to where Lisa is, because he probably heard her scream. Jack curses and goes after him. You want to go too, but decide to stay after realizing that it'll be easier if you just let Jack do what he does best.

A minute later, they back off, toward where you are, and Jack shoots you a look. You know what's coming, and grab Ianto's arm, pulling him back onto the lift. Jack's holding some things your brain can't process at the moment, holding Lisa back.

"That's right. Stay back. This will at least give you heartburn." He says.

"The power will run out. I can wait." She declares.

"Jack, help her. Give her a chance to surrender..." Ianto makes a step forward, never mind you trying to restrain him. You try again, with more strength this time, and pull him back again. "Let her stay in the cells! We have to reverse the process!"

"I've told you! We're past that! Hold him back!" He shouts the last part at you and you know better than to question him. Well, you try to hold him back, and you almost lose him many times, but you're the stubborn type.

Jack grabs the sauce that helps Myfanwy—the pterodactyl—identify her food, and throws it all over Lisa. Then he jumps onto the lift with you and looks at Ianto as he says, "I'm sorry." He presses some buttons on his broken vortex manipulator and you can hear Myfanwy screeching. Ianto's eyes widen.

"Come on Tosh, hurry up." Jack mumbles.

"You'll kill her!" Ianto protests and would've pulled away from you if Jack hadn't helped you restrain him. "Let me go! Let me help her!" He protests.

Just then, the concrete stone starts to rise, and Ianto's final cry of "No!" breaks your heart once more, and if you hadn't seen this episode many times, you'd have started to sob.

The lift is too slow, and you can't help but watch the fight between Myfanwy and Lisa. "Call it off her! You can do that!" Ianto pleads Jack. "Have some fucking mercy!"

You try to tune everything out. If you don't, you're sure you're going to start crying, never mind how many times you've seen the episode or how many times you've prepared yourself for actually living this.

Finally, the lift is up, and you let go of Ianto and step outside the block. Jack does as well, and Ianto too.

Owen and Tosh come running, Tosh with a smile on her face. "It worked! What happened to...?"

Jack, panting, shakes his head. "No."

He punches Jack in the face, and you don't stop him. You know what comes after and he deserves—or will deserve—it. Instead, Owen pulls Ianto away from Jack.

"You could have saved her!" He cries out, and you wince. Truth is, you'd already tried, and it didn't work, so Jack could not have saved her. Not really. "You're worse than anything locked up down there! One day, I'll have the chance to save you... and I'll watch you suffer and die."

You've been keeping your composture for so long, but this makes you lose it. Because you know that's not true. Because you know it'll actually be the other way around. Before you stop yourself, you cry out as well, frustrated. "Don't say that, dammit! Don't bloody say that because it's not true and—" You bury your face in your hands and cry out again. You don't want to hint anything about what's going to happen—mainly Ianto's death—and you're so frustrated about pretty much everything that you couldn't keep from bursting out.

When you look back up, they're all looking at you strangely. Tosh is the first one to look away from you and looking to Jack, and, before she tells him, you curse and run toward the Hub.

How could you forget about the girl? You hear the others yell your name, but you don't stop. You won't let her die, no matter what.

You catch her just on time.

"Hey!" You cry out and she turns back to look at you. You're sweating, panting, and you know it, but you don't really care. "Annie, isn't it? Listen, nobody's home for now. They should be back at any moment now." You try to smile, but it's kind of hard when you're out of breath. She raises an eyebrow at you but before she can ask you anything, the others are running back already.

Ianto pays for the pizzas, and Tosh and Owen make sure the girl goes away. Jack doesn't have to ask. He just raises an eyebrow at you and you sigh, before answering.

"She died. Lisa transplanted her brain into her body, and then said she wanted to be upgraded, and Ianto as well." You admit.

"That means she's still alive." You mentally face-palm yourself for being so stupid. You shouldn't have said that in front of Ianto.

"Maybe. Maybe not. Look, she—" The Hub's front door opens at that moment, and it catches you by surprise, you don't even think to curse.

Ianto runs inside, and you know he's going for the gun. Jack rushes inside, and you follow him, Owen and Tosh right behind you.

When you come in, Ianto's already in front of the secret doorway, pointing a gun at you.

"Ianto, don't be bloody stupid." You can't help but say.

"I've nothing left to lose."

"There's always something left to lose." Jack says, and you know that, in his case, it's true.

Ianto points his gun at Jack, and you have to stop yourself from mentioning that it won't really work, since Jack can't die permanently, but you know Jack wants that to remain a secret, and you respect his privacy. Well, as much as you can.

"I'm going back in to save her. Anybody tries to stop me, I'll shoot them." Wrong thing to say. Jack grabs his wrist, twists his arm and Ianto drops the gun. Then Jack points a gun at his head.

"You make a threat like that, you better be prepared to follow it through. See, you disobey me now... I really will shoot you." So Jack says, but you wonder if he really would. Probably... But not unless it was absolutely necessary. Last resort only, you guess.

"Get off me!" Ianto protests. You always wondered why the rest never interfered. Now you know. The scene is really captivating, in a terrible way. You're all tired, all wanting to shower, to get some rest, and you know what your duty is, but what's happening between Jack and Ianto is so… special, that you can't and won't interfere. Because it just feels wrong to do so. Okay, that sounds wrong. One reason would be that Jack has the situation under control—well, as much as he can—and the other is, what would you do anyway? None of the team is in Ianto's side. You were but not anymore. Because you realized the real Lisa wouldn't come back. You're still not sure why the rest didn't intervene, but for you? You just can't move. You're paralyzed, in a way.

"You wanna go back in there? You go in to finish the job. If she's still alive, you execute her." Jack says, and you feel like you're back at home, watching the show, only under a different angle, as if it was filmed in a different way.

"No way." Ianto protests with a pleading voice.

"You brought this down on us. You hid her. You hid yourself from us." Honestly, the real problem goes unsaid. It's not the fact that Ianto hid himself from the team that bothers Jack. It's the fact that he hid himself from Jack, and you can hear him say _You hid yourself from me_ as if he'd actually said "me" instead of "us". "Now it's time for you to stand as part of the team. The girl you loved has gone. Your loyalty is to us now."

"You can't order me to do that."

_No, but seriously, you can't. It's his bloody girlfriend we're talking about! _You think in fangirl mode, as if you were watching the episode once more. Only, you know it's not true, this is real, so you're glad you didn't say that out loud.

"You execute her or I'll execute you both!" Jack growls and you wince slightly.

"I won't do it. You can't make me. You like to think you're a hero. But you're the biggest monster of all."

_Fuck. _You wince at Ianto's words. They kind of hurt as well, even if they're not directed to you.

"I'm giving you ten minutes. Then we're coming in." Jack orders. Ianto looks at you, Tosh and Owen. They don't move, but you force yourself to come back to reality. "Pick it up."

"You can't ask him to do that." You force yourself to say something. You're not against killing Lisa—it's the only choice left—but you're against _Ianto_ killing Lisa. "Look, I don't really know or care what this is about, I don't want to get inside your head. But whether this is about Rose or Alex or both, those are completely different cases." You wonder if you should mention the truth about Rose, but before you can say anything, Jack replies.

"How are they different? Because they look very alike to me."

"Exactly. But take this from an outsider—they're completely different. Rose… Rose didn't _die_ at Canary Wharf. I'll let the Doctor explain it to you, but she really didn't. She's safe—" You stop yourself. You almost add "and working for Torchwood" but that alone would be too much information. "And it wasn't jut the Cybermen, it was also the bloody Daleks. It was their war that got Rose and millions of others killed. And Alex… I don't really know him, just the part where he went crazy and killed his own team, but he was trying to protect them… Not the best method, mind you, but tell me how do his reasons connect to Ianto's?"

Jack doesn't answer you. You kind of hope he won't tell the man to go after Lisa, but he glares at him in such way that Ianto picks up his gun and starts to leave. Then a terrible idea crosses your mind.

"Wait! You can't go there alone. She might transplant her brain into your body." You warn him.

After another short argument, you decide to go together. As soon as Lisa appears, she's killed by the entire team, or at least she would if you and Ianto had shot her. But true to your word, you didn't shoot her, and Ianto just couldn't, and that's completely normal.

Owen's the first one to leave, followed by Tosh, and you help Ianto clean up the Hub. You know Jack's watching you—mainly Ianto—and you wonder if he's still mad. He probably is.

Jack watches you leave, and you suppose he'll watch Ianto leave as well, and then retreat into his little room under his office. You sigh as you walk back to your flat. It's almost dawn, and to be honest, you're exhausted.

If only things had happened differently…

But this is Torchwood. Since when things happen the way you want them to?

You shiver when the wind picks up a little, your jacket having been destroyed in the wreckage, you're only wearing your jeans and your green roll sleeves silk shirt, and you can't help but be a bit cold.

You get back home, and push your fatigue aside and take a long, refreshing shower before going back to bed. You want to get at least a few hours of sleep, which honestly qualifies as a normal Torchwood sleep.

You hope tomorrow will be a normal, boring day, because as much as you love some excitement, the events of today were exhausting, not only mentally and physically but also emotionally.

You really do need to get some rest.

You wonder whether it would've been easier to tell Jack about Lisa as soon as he'd employed you. Before you can answer your own question, you fall into a deep sleep.


	14. Cyberwoman: Bonus Chapter

**Cyberwoman.**

Jack watched Lucy leave, a mix of emotions passing on her face. Jack was trying hard not to give in to the rage he felt. He'd hoped there would be no more traitors, but he was wrong. He'd been wrong all along, ever since he let Lucy join in. He'd read the transcript, and damn it, it just killed him. But he was curious. Lucy'd burst out, frustrated, almost revealing something important, after Ianto had told him that he'd watch him die someday. Of course, Jack had known that wouldn't happen, but the fact that Lucy suddenly turned against Ianto scared him. What would happen?

He got to a conclusion. Lucy would stay in Torchwood, but she'd be suspended for a week only. Ianto would have to leave Torchwood, and he knew the choices. Retcon or a bullet to the head. He just hoped Ianto wouldn't choose the latter.

So he called Ianto to his office. But when he did, and Ianto saw the despair, the guilt and regret on his face, he couldn't bring himself to make him leave Torchwood. Ianto really looked like he wanted to stay. So instead, he gave Ianto four weeks of suspension, and he'd decide whether he wanted to stay when he came back. Ianto nodded obediently, and was about to leave Jack's office, when he turned around, and said, "I'm sorry."

Before Jack could say anything, Ianto left. Jack stayed there, stunned. He barely noticed the alarms blaring as the cogwheel turned, letting Ianto out. Ianto apologized. _Apologized._ Jack wouldn't have thought it possible. Grief had to be too recent still, for him to actually register what he'd done.

So what had happened? What had pushed Ianto to apologize when Jack had killed his girlfriend? If anything, Jack thought, Ianto should've been thinking _he_ was the one who should've apologized. Not that Jack would. He wouldn't apologize for killing a monster, that was ready to kill everyone in his team, and possibly, everyone in the world.

It seemed the young Welshman would never cease to surprise him.

**A/N: I know Ianto apologizing might be a little weird—okay, ****_extremely_**** weird—but he's not apologizing for hiding Lisa, because he'd never apologize for that. He's apologizing because Torchwood is a big part of his life, and without it, he's got no meaning. He doesn't want to leave Torchwood, and he never meant Lisa to hurt anyone. That's what he's apologizing for, Lisa hurting people. And because he doesn't want to leave Torchwood. Sorry for the long A/N, I just wanted to point that out.**


	15. Small Worlds: Day 1

**A/N: Wow, a review, this makes me so happy! Thank you, Lilian Katora! I had problems writing Cyberwoman when I first started it, but after finishing season 6 of Doctor Who, I knew how to try to save Lisa... And, well, things won't change too much instead of Gwen, because she wants to follow the storyline, changing things when she can, but mostly because she wants to save everyone in Torchwood who dies (Jack doesn't count) and she doesn't want to end up changing the storyline too much so she ends up with no idea of what's going to happen and she can't prevent anything. Anyway, sorry for the long A/N, enjoy the chapter!**

**Day 1.**

You most definitely love your days off.

Before you actually had a life outside Torchwood, you just spent it reading or finishing the transcripts or even rewatching your favorite TV shows you stored in your computer and your external hardrive, but now, you love spending time with Gareth, and Tosh. When both you and Tosh have the same day off, you spend time together. The others, you're with Gareth, and you've even met some of his friends, like Caren and Arthur. They are twins. Caren is a nice girl, with straight red hair and green eyes, and Arthur is like a copy of her. Same red hair and green eyes. They are 22 years old, one year younger than Gareth.

Today, you're spending time with Gareth only. You're in a coffee shop. It's nothing special, just a casual meeting, or so would it seem if you hadn't been dating for four weeks already. Today, Ianto should be back at work for the first time since his suspension, you remember. And you also remember that the episode with the fairies is going to happen real soon, but no need to trouble yourself with that during a happy day.

"So, tell me, what exactly do you work at?" Gareth asks. He's been trying to get that secret out of you for weeks, but you still avoid the subject.

"Told you. Special ops." You smile at him as you pick up your cup of coffee and take a sip. The hot caramel flavored coffee burns the tip of your tongue and your throat but you ignore it and swallow it before setting down the cup.

"You know, I'll find out someday." He jokes.

You just laugh. "I know you will. But in the mean time…" You smirk and wink at him. Truth is, you know he'll find out at some point, because you work at Torchwood after all and they're not the best at keeping things secret.

Gareth laughs as well and the subject changes, your job being put aside for the moment, as you step back into the casual subjects and he starts telling jokes as usual that would be really terrible but you can't help but laugh at them because they _are_ funny to you. And, for the first time in a while, you don't just feel happy, but also _whole_.

* * *

When you get back at your house, you take off your dark red overcoat and leave it on the back of a chair. It's around three thirty in the afternoon, but Gareth has the afternoon shift at the shopping centre, and while you accompanied him for a while, you don't want to spend your entire day socializing. You also like it when you're alone.

You sit down and grab the first book you've got around—the Island, by Victoria Hislop. It's good, a little slow at first, but you're halfway through it when you get a phone call from Tosh.

"Hello, Lucy." She says.

"Hi! What's up?" You ask, cheerily.

"Jack and I went to see this presentation about fairies… And now he's worried. He thinks there's a problem about them and wants to check it out. Would you come? I know it's your day off but we could really use your help."

Your smile falters and you close your eyes. Did it really have to happen now? You fake a smile, even though no one's around, and say in the same tone as before, though a little less cheery because this is, after all, a serious case. "Sure. I'll be at the Hub in 20."

"Thank you." Tosh hangs up. You do too, and sigh as you put the book down.

On a second thought, you decide to take it with you. The traffic is late at this hour, and to pass the time you could read.

You get at the Hub in 30, a little later than you'd expected, and you've already finished three quarters of the book. You didn't take a purse, so you've got it in your hands as you enter the tourist office. Ianto isn't there, but you know your way in, so you press the blue hidden button that opens the secret door to the Hub and enter, just as you check that you've indeed closed the door behind you and no one saw what you did. You really don't like to Retcon people unless absolutely necessary.

You go straight to the conference room—Tosh had texted you to let you know what they were doing, so you wouldn't be wandering around the Hub until you found the rest of the team—and see Ianto putting down mugs full of tea or coffee, depending on who he's serving. Tosh likes both tea and coffee, but he gives her a cup of tea, probably because she's had a full night's sleep, and because it's, what? Five pm? Owen gets a coffee because he's a coffee addict, and Jack gets one as well. Ianto hadn't gotten a mug for you because you weren't there yet, but when he offers you, you just shake your head. You love Ianto's coffee—there's no denying that—but you've taken a coffee recently, and you still have the burned taste on the tip of your tongue. You smile at him, though, and thank him before sitting down with all the rest as Tosh starts explaining.

"This is the youngest girl. And the girl's cousin."

"I blame it on magic mushrooms." Ianto comments and you chuckle. Damn, you've missed him a lot since he died on the show. He was always so funny and witty, and even though that wasn't obvious in season 1, it sure was in season 2 and you just wished it would've been shown more.

"What you do in private is none of our business." Jack answered.

"I thought those photographs were fake." You say.

"Conan Doyle believed in them." Owen points out.

"Yeah…" You trail off. "But that doesn't mean it's true. I mean, for all we know, that wasn't Conan Doyle but a shapeshifter who took his form to feed on other humans. And he just said that to… I don't know. Confuse us? Make us think he was nuts?" Everyone stares at you like _you_ are the one who's nuts. "It's just a theory!" You raise your hands in surrender. "An incredibly daft theory, but a theory nonetheless."

"Right… Houdini also believed in them." Owen says, trying to get back to a subject where he can have control of the situation. You roll your eyes.

"I'm not believing anything a magicians says to me, sorry." Just because of Supernatural, but that's not the point.

"So, you think they're fake?" Jack asks you.

"I'm not sure… But I heard they were. Heard that when the girls were old ladies admitted that they were fake, but for all I know it could be just a rumor." You shrug. Jack didn't want you to reveal too much of anything? Fine. You'd still intervene, but try not to give any hints about what you know to anyone. Not even Jack.

"So where was this sighting then?" Tosh asks as she puts Estelle's recent photos on the wall monitor.

"In a place called Roundstone Wood." Jack says.

"That's the place with the odd history, isn't it?" You ask as you recall Owen's story.

"What do you mean, odd history?" Jack asks you.

"Apparently, it's always stayed wild. In the ancient times it was considered bad luck to walk in there or even to collect timber. Even the Romans stayed clear of it. Or so I've heard."

"I've had no report of any sighting." Tosh remarks. _You won't_, you want to say, but Jack beats you to it.

"You won't. These things come in under the radar, but they play tricks with the weather, so set up a program for unnatural weather patterns."

"Right." Tosh says.

"Our machines can't pick them up, then?" Owen asks.

Jack shakes his head grimly. "Nothing can."

* * *

You left your coat in the SUV, so when a breeze passes, you shiver a bit. Your short-sleeved white T-shirt that says "Last Clean T-Shirt" isn't enough to protect you form the cool air, though you should be happy it isn't cold.

Jack, Owen and you reach the rock formation.

"The stones in those photographs." Jack remarks.

"You know, this whole area was forest in primeval times. Most of the development areas have been built on ley lines." Owen informs.

"If we weren't Torchwood, I'd start looking for a rational explanation." You comment.

"But we are Torchwood. Looking for a rational explanation is a waste of time." Jack says.

"I know. That's why I'm just going to go with whatever you say. Fairies, right?" You raise an eyebrow at him. He stiffens for a bit.

"Yeah. Them. Know anything about them?" He asks you.

"Creatures from the dawn of time. Can control elements. Not sure how to fight them, though. They're not exactly good or bad… Let's say they're gray. Everyone usually is." You ramble.

"And how do you know all that?" Owen asks you.

"I've always been interested in these things. Mythology and stuff. Did lots of research when I was a teenager, and I remember most of it." You improvise.

"Oh, really?" Owen raises an eyebrow at you.

"Yeah, actually. Got a problem with that?" It's your turn to raise an eyebrow at him. He raises his hands in surrender.

"I'm just saying."

You roll your eyes and get back to work.

* * *

Back at the Hub, while the machine scans what you found, you don't really have anything to do, having filled your paperwork a while ago, you grab your book and open it at where you left off. You have the habit of commenting everything you read or watch, and even though you try your best not to, a moment comes where you can't stand it, and you can't help but shout, "You've got to be kidding me!" a little too loud. This is closely followed by, "I don't bloody care about your dignity, you're talking about bloody murder here!" You grit your teeth as you get back to your reading, which is quickly interrupted by pretty much the whole team coming to check on you.

"You okay?" Tosh asks. You look up from your book, a little surprised.

"Oh, yes. Sorry. Did I just say that out loud?" You silently curse yourself. "I was just, you know, cursing the men from the twentieth century." You hold up your book as an explanation.

Owen narrows his eyes. "Do you have the habit of yelling at things? Do I need to check out your mental stability?" He asks you.

"I know I'm not exactly the most mentally stable person on the planet, but that doesn't mean I'm nuts and that I need to be locked up, if that's what you mean, now if you say something like that once more then you better watch your back because you might not get through this week alive. Got it?" You threats are empty—you don't plan on killing him—but having some fun with him isn't out of the question. And well, when Owen's being as big of a jerk as the men in your book, you can't help it but threaten him.

Jack understands what's going on and sends everyone back to work, though it's not like they're actually working. Ianto's reading a novel, probably, while up in the tourist office, keeping up appearances. Jack's filling the paperwork he's been putting off, Owen's been listening to shitty music in his medical bay since you got back from your little trip, and Tosh has been working on a side project she has but she refuses to tell anyone about—except Jack for obvious reasons.

You go back to your book, being really careful not to have another outburst when Ianto comes in, about fifteen minutes later, holding his phone.

"Someone from the police station called. You might want to check this out."

* * *

You're at the station in no time, with Jack and Tosh, as the sergeant shows you to the back cells. "I thought I'd seen everything until now. We had him locked up,  
for Christ's sake, on his own. He was shouting the odds. Said things were following him."

"What kind of things?" Jack asks.

"Shadows, he said. And he was going on about being choked." You remember that part, and you grimace involuntarily.

Tosh joins you as the sergeant unlocks the door. She'd been interrogating the other prisoners. Before any of you can ask, she speaks, "There were four other prisoners. They saw nothing."

"You've had them transferred, right?" You ask her. She nods.

"CCTV?" Jack asks her.

"I'm dealing with that." She responds.

The sergeant turns back to you. "At first I thought he was a drunk or a nutcase, or both."

"Both. Definitely both." You mumble under your breath, making sure no one can hear you.

"Right, I want this place locked off." Jack says as you three enter the small cell. "Name?" Jack asks.

"Mark Goodson. Worked in town. Business consultant." Toshiko answers.

"Cause of death?" Jack asks.

"Well, going by the pinpoint hemorrhages on the eye-lids and around the hairline, I'd say oxygen deficiency. But it's odd. There's no fingertip bruising on the face, no areas of pallor."

"That's because," you start, kneeling next to the body, "no pressure was applied at all." You pick up a forceps out of the kit, and open the man's mouth, trying to push down the disgust as you pull out a rose petal from the man's mouth. "It was them." You look at Jack, who looks thoughtful, and grim.

"I haven't seen anything like that before." Tosh admits, before she frowns at you. "What do you mean, 'them'?"

"I have. And she means the fairies." Jack answers, grimly.

* * *

Back at the conference room, it's just you three, watching the CCTV footage of Mark Goodson in his cell, dying. It's not pretty, but it's part of your job so you don't complain.

"We know the dead man was a convicted pedophile, used to hang around schools." Jack says.

"Yep. He probably tried to harass a Chosen One." You know that's not a probability but an actual fact, but you don't mention it because you simply don't have proof.

"Yes, that would explain the way he died." Jack replies.

"But what about the petals in his mouth? Why were they there?" Tosh asks.

"Just a bit of fun on their part." Jack answers.

"Well, we definitely don't share the same meaning of 'fun'." You comment.

"So how do we stop them?" Tosh asks.

"First we have to find out who they want. And we can't trap them. They have control of the elements - fire, water, the air that we breathe. They can drag that air right out of our bodies. Sometimes I think they're part _Mara_."

"_Mara_?" Tosh wonders.

"Kind of malignant wraiths. It's where the word 'nightmare' came from. They suffocate people in their sleep." The phone rings, and a cold shiver runs down your spine.

"Estelle!" You exclaim, remembering. "You've got to get her," you tell Jack. "Answer on the way, she's in danger and she'll die if you don't reach her soon."

Under other circumstances, Jack would've glared at you, for exposing yourself and revealing something you shouldn't have, but since it involves someone he loves, and that you care about as well, he totally forgets about that, and rushes out the door, taking his phone on his way and answering immediately. Tosh rushes to her computer to monitor the activity, while you're too shocked and frightened to do anything other than pacing around the conference room.

How could you forget about her? She was one of the best characters in the world, even though she just appeared for one episode and died in the same one! How could you forget she was going to die, and you just remembered it when the phone rang? Maybe he'll be too late… No, you decide. Jack's rushing there, probably breaking all the traffic laws because you told him that if he's late, she'll die, and he can't lose her. Not yet.

A tear rolls down your cheek but you quickly wipe it away. Crying won't help nor solve anything. There's a knot in your stomach, and a lump in your throat, though you know that's just the nerves, and not the actual fairies, for which you're thankful.

You know you won't be able to eat or drink anything, let alone sleep, until you know Estelle is alright, so you join Tosh, who's talking to Jack over the comms, directing him through the messy Cardiff streets, while you can't do much but just stand besides Tosh, and worry out of your mind.

Finally, a wave of relief washes over you when you hear Jack's small voice over the comms. "She's still alive. Barely. I need Owen's help."

"I'll call him. What's the address?" You ask over the comms, write down the address and call Owen, glad you're doing something other than walking around.

An hour later, they're back in. She's suffering from hypothermia and almost drowned. She's receiving adequate treatment however, from Owen, and Jack looks obviously devastated. Tosh gets to leave for home, and you do as well.

Owen's at the bathrooms, taking a shower because he'll stay at the Hub for the night, watching over Estelle. You want to talk to Jack before you leave, but when you're about to walk in the medical bay, you stop yourself, and stay back. You feel a tiny little bad for eavesdropping, but you push those feelings away as you listen to Jack and Ianto talking quietly. You can barely hear them, so you even stop breathing for a while, just to start breathing softly again, trying to hear them the best you can.

"You should go home," Jack says. "You don't have to stay."

"Are you sure?" Ianto asks him, visibly worried.

"Yeah." He doesn't sound so sure, though.

"Jack," Ianto says, even more quietly, "you can tell me, you know."

Jack takes a deep breath. "Estelle… I met her a while ago. During World War II. In London at the Astoria ballroom a few weeks before Christmas. She was seventeen years old and she was beautiful. I loved her at first sight. But nothing lasted back then. Promises were always being broken. Estelle ... to have to die like that." You wish you could see them better, since you can only see their backs turned at you, but if they weren't in that position, they could see you eavesdropping, so you realize you really don't mind that much. "Today, I—I really thought I'd lose her." He's trying to maintain his composure, but he's filled with grief. He's almost seen the woman he loved die, and he knows she normally died, since you made it clear when you warned him that he'd be too late if he didn't hurry up. You wince at that. You could've tried to be more tactful about it.

"I heard about what happened to Mark Goodson. Tosh told me you've seen that before. Was that also during the war?" Ianto asks him.

"No. It was… It was long before then. On a troop train in Lahore, 1909. Fifteen men with me in charge. Everyone happy. Too happy. Too noisy." You remember the scene perfectly, and it mades you shudder. "Then we hit a tunnel. We thought some birds had flown in through an open window. Then came the silence. And when we came out of the tunnel..." He trails off, but continues. "All fifteen men were dead. They'd been suffocated. My squad. Men I was responsible for." And here he is. Typical Jack, always taking the blame for everything.

"It wasn't your fault." Ianto voices your thoughts. When Jack doesn't respond, he asks, "Why were they killed?"

"About a week earlier some of them had got drunk. Drove a truck through a village, ran over a child, killed her. That child was a chosen one."

* * *

You soon left the Hub, since Owen had been about to catch you, but you think about what you saw again when you're on the streets. It was… Different. You noticed every little detail you could from your position, and you think you saw Ianto putting his hand over Jack, a small sign of comfort. Of course, there is no way to prove that you actually saw it, but it could've happened. And if it did, it certainly was good that Jack was trusting Ianto more. Ever since what happened with Lisa, everyone's been staying away from Ianto, not quite looking at him in the eyes. Except you, of course. And maybe the others did, sometimes. But at first, it was like it was painful to simply look at him. And sure, it had felt like it, but you knew Ianto wasn't to be blamed for being disloyal. He'd been right when he said his loyalty was Lisa's, since he'd known her first. And now, his loyalty was definitely Torchwood's. Or at least Jack's.

And the way they were acting today… Jack had originally had this conversation with Gwen, which means that Ianto knows, somehow, that Jack's immortal and can't die. You can't help but smile at the thought, because Jack wouldn't tell anyone that, not without putting his life in their hands. And yes, it's a metaphor, since when he dies, he can't really stay dead.

After that, you try not to think about that because yes, that technically counts as an invasion of Jack's privacy, even if you knew the story already. But you also knew that if you tried not to think about it at all after having seen that moment, you wouldn't be able to stop thinking about it. So now, you successfully manage to "forget" about it.

As soon as you get back home, you realize how tired you are. You open the door, and turn on the lights, and can't help but gasp when you see what's happening to your flat.

You close the door behind you before you burst out. "Dammit! I didn't do a bloody thing! Why are you after me?!" You cry out, to no one in particular, or so it would seem. But you know the fairies are listening. You're scared, but you know they won't try to kill you. You decide to clean up the mess tomorrow, and you make your way through the disaster that was your living room. You remove your white converses and your black edgy star cuff as soon as you get to your room, which wasn't trashed. Just your living room/dining room had, at least that's what you could see. You sit down on your bed, put your elbows over your dark red jeans, and bury your face in your hands. Bloody fairies.


	16. Small Worlds: Day 2

**Day 2.**

Jack and Ianto are at your flat. In a way, it's nice to see that Ianto came with Jack, since this didn't happen in the original timeline and it means that Jack trusts Ianto more, but you're still scared as hell because of the bloody fairies, so you don't really think about that.

Jack doesn't say much, and when you're scared, you don't become angry at everyone in your way, like Gwen does, but the silence is killing you.

"Any idea why they would trash my house? As far as I know the only thing I did was warn you about Estelle." You stop, immediately. "How's she doing, by the way?"

"She's getting better, or so Owen says." Jack ignores your previous questions, focusing only on Estelle. You don't really know what to say, and apparently Ianto doesn't either. Jack's the first one to break the silence. "You do know that these so-called fairies were children once from different moments in time, going back millennia. Part of the lost lands."

You nod, but Ianto asks, "What lost lands?"

"The lands that belong to them." Jack looks sadly at Ianto, as if remembering something tragic.

"They're here for the next Chosen One." You sigh.

Jack nods. "So I fear."

* * *

That day you're wearing something simple. Jeans, a gray sweatshirt that says "I'd rather be sleeping"—which is true, you don't really want to deal with the fairies, but you have to—with a white tank top underneath, and a pair of black converse. I suppose saying you have your silver watch with you goes unsaid, since you only remove it to go to sleep.

When you get to the Hub, you immediately head to the conference room.

"I want a check on all unexplained deaths in the area." Jack orders.

You nod. Tosh's sitting at the table with her laptop, and Ianto's looking at the monitor. Deciding to make yourself useful, you open your laptop as well.

"What's the weather forecast for today?" Tosh asks.

"Long, sunny spells." Ianto informs her.

"It's happening again." Tosh says.

"Thought so." You sigh. Jack leans over Tosh's shoulder to check the weather patterns Tosh's detected. Tosh starts typing something, but soon frowns at her computer, and looks over at Jack.

"I can't understand it, it's going crazy."

"Just leave it. Let's go." He orders. You close your laptop, Tosh does the same, and you three walk out. Owen joins you as you head out of the Hub. Ianto's staying here, but he walks to a random workstation so he can help you on the way, even if through the comms.

* * *

After visiting the school, and Kate, the teacher, tells you where to go, you go to Jasmine's house. This is where it gets complicated, and you know it. Still, it won't stop you from trying to make the others understand, that the choice Jack will make is the best.

When you get to the house, the party's trashed by the fairies. You all get the visitors out, but it's too late for Roy. Honestly, you feel a little pity for him, because even though he was a dick, and slapped Jasmine, you wouldn't go as far as to say that he deserved to die. So, maybe you got a little later than in the original timeline, but that doesn't matter. You and Jack go after the little girl. You dread what's coming, but you have to face it anyway.

"Do you know you're walking in an old forest? Well, you are. It looks like a very old forest, and it's magical. I want to stay in it." Jasmine says cheerily.

"You can see this forest?" Jack asks.

"Yes."

"But it's not here. It's just an illusion, Jasmine. It is." Jasmine shakes her head. "Your friends are just playing a game with you." Then he shouts to the fairies, "The real forest can never come back."

"Oh, it can. When they take me to it." Jasmine assures him.

"Don't you have anything to keep you here?" You ask the girl, though you know the answer. "Your mother? I know your stepfather was a jerk, but he won't bother you anymore. You could live happy with your mother, and make some new friends." You say, smiling softly, but Jasmine just shakes her head.

"Come on. The child isn't sure." Jack tells the fairies.

"I am sure." Jasmine's still smiling. Jack reaches out and grabs Jasmine, holding her, not wanting to let her go. "No!" Her smile fades immediately, replaced by rage.

"Leave her alone. Find another chosen one." Jack asks them.

"Too late. She belongs with us." The fairies say. Their voices are raspy and ethereal.

"The child belongs here." Jack says stubbornly. You know you're not doing much to help, but what can you do? You know how it's all going to play out in the end. Still, it pains you not being able to do something about it.

"No!" The fairies dragged the word out. "She lives forever!"

"Suppose we make her stay with us?" Jack asks.

"Then lots more people will die." Jasmine says, looking strangely happy, even though she's talking about people dying.

"Could you not sound so happy about it?" You ask her, though you don't expect an answer. "They promised you, didn't they?" Jasmine nods.

"Come away, oh, human child!" The fairies chant.

Jasmine tries to take a step back from Jack but he pulls her back to him. "Next time they'll kill everyone at my school like they killed Roy and that man." She said. When Jack didn't respond, she added, "If they want to they can make great storms, wild seas, turn the world to ice. Kill every living thing. Let me go!"

Jack looks at the fairies, a look of regret in his eyes, and you brace yourself for what's coming. "The child won't be harmed?" When they don't answer, he shouts, "Answer me! She won't be harmed?"

"We told you. She lives forever." The one that looks like the leader says.

"A dead world. Is that what you want?" Jasmine asks Jack. He kneels in front of her.

"What good is that to you? There will be no more chosen ones."

Jasmine's voice becomes ethereal, like the fairies. "They'll find us. Back in time."

Jack touches her cheek, that look of regret still in his eyes and it hurts to much living this, that you can't help the tears that start to well up in your eyes. What you can do, though, is blink them away, but it becomes useless when Jack says, "Take her."

"Thank you." Jasmine smiles, a real, happy smile, before walking away with the other fairies.

That's when Jasmine's mom comes running, and starts yelling and cursing at Jack, who ends up holding her as he cries. What no one but you notices is that Jack has also tears in his eyes, and that this decision is one of the hardest he's had to make in his life. And you know there are more to come, which honestly doesn't help his case.

* * *

Walking back to the car, no one looks at Jack. They're mad at him, and though you understand why, you also understand what Jack did, so it pains you when he yells, "What else could I do?"

Back at the Hub, Owen and Tosh avoid Jack at all costs, while you fill Ianto in. Jack's locked himself up in his office. Ianto tells you he'll go make coffee for Jack, and since you don't want to interrupt the moment they'll probably have later, you decide to talk to him now.

You knock at his door, before letting yourself in. Jack's in a bad mood, obviously.

"What? You're here to criticize me as well?" His voice is filled with anger and self-hatred, and it kind of hurts a little.

"No." You answer. "Can I come in?"

Jack, surprised, lifts his head to look at you, and nods. You close the door behind you.

"I just wanted to say, I know what you did was probably one of the hardest things you've had to do in your life, and that even if the others don't think so, it was the right choice." When Jack doesn't respond, you continue. "When I first watched the show what impressed me most about your character is how he could always make the right choice, even when they weren't exactly the easiest."

"So, you're saying that I'm overreacting?"

"No, that's not what I'm saying. What I'm saying is that, it may look bad right now, but you just saved our lives, so, I wanted to thank you." Now, that definitely surprised him. You check your watch. It's almost seven. Time to go. "I should go now. Uh, and since Ianto's coming in, I'm guessing you want me to tell Tosh and Owen to leave as well?"

Jack raises an eyebrow at you. "What exactly are you implying?"

You can't help but grin. "Spoilers." You quote River Song. As you walk away from the office, you can hear Jack chuckle.


	17. Small Worlds: Bonus Chapter

**A/N: Happy New Year! Janto shippers are going to enjoy this chapter... Well, I hope so.**

**Small Worlds.**

Lucy being an exception, the entire team was mad at Jack. At least that's what Ianto noticed. Lucy told him what happened, since no one else would even speak about it. He made coffee for Jack, probably because it was the only thing Ianto could do that told his boss that he wasn't mad at him. Unless Ianto put him on decaf, but that wasn't going to happen any time soon. Or at least he didn't think so.

He saw Lucy leaving Jack's office, and telling Owen and Tosh that they could leave. In a minute, they were all out. Except for Ianto. He walked up and knocked on Jack's door.

"Come in." He heard Jack's voice, sounding bitter. He opened the door, and closed it behind him, before walking over to Jack's desk, where he left both Jack's mug and his. Jack looked up at him, and Ianto noticed how miserable and how furious he felt toward himself. Ianto didn't hesitate to pull up a chair and sit besides him.

All the sorrow Jack felt also made him more insecure, Ianto noticed. The way he would just hold his mug of coffee, not drinking it immediately, as usual, and not bearing to look at anyone in the eye for more than a few seconds.

Ianto already knew the story, but he didn't know what to do, or what to say. Things with Lisa had never been this complicated. But what he could do, was to listen. He was a good listened, or so he'd been told, and that was probably the only thing he could do for Jack right now. "What happened?" He asked softly.

And Jack told him. Didn't leave any detail out. Ianto couldn't believe it. Not the story, of course he believed that, but the fact that Jack trusted him, almost as if he hadn't betrayed him—them. Almost as if the Lisa incident had never happened. That couldn't be normal, could it?

What troubled Ianto a bit was how quickly he was getting over Lisa's death, when he'd loved her. He still did, a little. But he was starting to move on, because it was the only thing he could do.

When Jack finished telling his story, he looked him at Ianto, and the Welshman didn't really know what to say. He wanted to let Jack know that he understood why he did it, that he didn't blame him, but he didn't know how.

Turns out, he didn't need to. Jack saw everything he wanted to say in his eyes when he looked at him for one last time, preparing himself for the loathing and disgust he thought Ianto would be feeling. But what he saw surprised him so much—understanding and compassion—that he didn't think. He just leaned in and kissed him.

Ianto didn't pull away.


	18. Countrycide: Day 1—Bonus Chapter

**A/N: Sorry for the delay, and I'm really sorry this chapter's so short. I hope you enjoy it. Sorry, again!**

**Day 1.**

Getting ready to work, you put on your clothes. A black skinny jeans, a red and black plaid shirt, combat boots, your military jacket, your watch, and a pentagram charm attached to a black velvet ribbon choke necklace.

When you get to the Hub, Tosh comments about the new case she believes she's found, in the countryside. When she starts explaining about the disappearances, you can't help but yell, "There's no way we're going there!"

Of course, then Jack asks you to a meeting in his office, where you tell him the whole village is actually full with cannibals that once every ten years make a Harvest, where they pick voyagers passing through and eat them. Of course, after listening to that, Jack calls off the investigation immediately and calls the police. Once again, you've saved the team from a traumatic experience, and even though Jack thinks you were once more too revealing, he's glad you told him, because he'd never make his team go through a traumatic adventure like that. Not if he can prevent it.

Since the Rift is actually quiet for once, Jack spends his day reading the transcript about Countrycide while you finish another book you've started after having finished The Island. No one does anything at work when the Rift is quiet, and for once, you're grateful for that. Just spending time with your co-workers without preoccupations is very nice, and you could get used to this life. You really could.

**Countrycide (Bonus Chapter).**

When Jack finished reading the transcript, he was thankful Lucy had told him. What happened certainly would've proved the team that Ianto wasn't trying to get them killed anymore, but it would've been so traumatic the lingering distrust seemed like a small price to pay.

He watched his team, happily discussing downstairs. Except for Lucy who was reading a book. He watched how Tosh and Ianto interacted, and he decided that maybe, just maybe, not all of his team didn't trust Ianto. Just Owen, probably.

His mind wandered toward the transcript again. It had started so well. A trip to the countryside, a team-bonding exercise. Then it all went to hell, and Gwen got shot, Ianto almost got killed, and all of his team ended up traumatised. It didn't help that Gwen wanted to know why they did it and the answer was just so disgusting he had to force himself not to punch his desk hard.

He was definitely grateful Lucy had told him about that, because he wouldn't let his team go through so much crap. Not ever. Not if he could help it. He just hoped nothing worse was to come.


	19. Greeks Bearing Gifts: Day 1

**Day 1.**

You're inside a red tent, on a contruction site. Some skeletal remains were dug up during the construction. Jack's rambling, while Tosh scans the area, Owen's analyzing the remains, and you are standing nearby, taking in all the settings and trying to remember if this was in an episode or not.

"Once, just once, I'd like to walk into one of these tents and find it's a party. You know, food, drink, people dancing, the girl crying in the corner." Jack rambles.

"Well, that girl crying in the corner is probably happy that she's remembered." You joke. "I'm guessing this is alien." You say.

Jack's manipulator—that doesn't just work for transporting, well, used to transport people but never mind—beeps when Jack's kneeling over an iron device near the remains. "You've got no idea. I'm picking up traces of ilmenite, pyroxene, and even Dark Matter."

_ That sounds important, _you notice. You feel kind of useless for not being an expert when it comes to alien technology, quantum physics and such. Truth is, if it wasn't for your knowledge of the future, then you'd never have been employed.

"That thing looks familiar…" You mutter while leaning over it. You take in its form and design, and try to remember every artifact that's ever appeared on the show. When you remember, your eyes widen and you snap your fingers. "I knew it!"

"What?" Jack raises an eyebrow at you. You can't help but smirk.

"Spoilers." He rolls his eyes at you. "Let's make a bet. I bet that by the end of the day you won't have discovered what it is."

Jack narrows his eyes. "Now that's just cheating."

"Is it?" You raise your eyebrow. "Because this episode wasn't so focused on you but on one person alone that I won't mention."

"Interesting. Now would you stop teasing me and help me out, here?" He asks you, his voice sounding a little irritated, and you approach him, kneeling down besides him, making sure you don't touch the dirt with your black and white pants. Surely it was a bad idea to wear these pants and the matching blazer to work when it can all go to hell when you least expect it.

"What's the problem?" You ask him. He pushes you to the ground, and you can't help but yelp when he catches you by surprise.

"Son of a bitch!" You curse. "You're going to pay for that!" You try to threaten him but you crack a smile.

"Sure. As soon as I win the bet." Jack winks at you. You can't help but laugh at that.

That's when Tosh kneels between you two and gives you both a disapproving look before taking some readings.

"Would you two stop acting like children?" Owen asks momentarily looking up from the skeleton.

You snort. "Look who's talking. The most mature person in the world."

Jack chuckles. "How's our friend there?"

"She's dead." Owen answers.

"No shit, Sherlock, I had absolutely no clue. I actually thought he was unconscious."

"She." Owen corrects. "It's a girl."

You snort. "Wanna bet?"

"Okay, okay." Jack interrupts you two. "Thank you very much, Quincy. And, she?" He raises an eyebrow at Owen.

"Judging by the size of her skull." Owen explains.

"How long have they been here, Tosh?" Jack asks Tosh, who reads something on the device she's holding. You roll your eyes as Owen snaps his fingers to let you know he needs some instruments, which you give him.

"From the depth they found them... 196 years, 11 to 11.5 months. The earth's been disturbed so I'm afraid I can't be more accurate." Tosh answers.

"Do you know what killed her?" You want to make another bet with Owen, because he's been such a jerk lately, you'd love taking some of his money as a revenge.

"See those shattered ribs?" He points at a hole in the skeleton's chest. "I reckon she was shot."

"Wanna bet?" You smirk. Owen looks up at you, a bit confused. He's probably wondering how you're so sure that he's wrong.

"Well, let's get her back to the Hub and find out." Jack says before Owen can respond. He gets up and walks out of the tent. Owen walks out of the hole, and you help him up. You remember Gwen's comment, and you decide to say it, just to see if he reacts the same way. And also, this'll be like some sort of hint for him that the skeleton isn't exactly a girl, but you know he won't know it's a hint unless you actually tell him, but you push that thought away as you smirk.

"You're so light! Are you sure you're not a girl?"

Owen makes a bitchface at you. "I'm not light, I'm wiry. Fat girls go mad for it." Then he leans in closer to you and whispers, loud enough for Tosh to hear, though. "Do you want to find out?"

You raise an eyebrow. "Uh, nope. I've got a boyfriend, and I'm not fat." You punch him in the arm.

"Whatever you say, sweetheart." Owen walks out of the tent.

You roll your eyes. "He can be so annoying sometimes."

Tosh smiles slightly. "Yeah."

"Need any help?" You ask her.

"No, thanks. I'm fine." She shoots a grateful little smile at you before packing up.

* * *

"I'm really sorry. I think your computer might be dead." Owen apologizes when Tosh walks it. You're a bit mad at him, mostly because you know Tosh was working hard on something and she'll be pissed. You're glad you've got nothing to do with it, though.

"You're kidding. What happened?" Tosh rushes to her workstation.

"Do you want to know the full story or what happened to the computer?" Owen asks. Tosh's about to answer, but you tell her what she wants to know before she asks.

"This dickhead over here was fooling around with his soccer ball and kicked out the plug. I tried to stop him, but you know how boys can be." You walk over to where she is. "Do you want me to help you with something? You were probably working on something important."

"What? But—" She sighs. "It was running a translation program I'd written. I'd collated every scrap of alien language we've got, and broken it down into binary threads to see if there was a common derivation."

"That's a bit of a mouthful." Owen comments. You glare at him.

"That's brilliant, Tosh. Why did you do it? Did you just decide to do it out of curiosity?" You ask her, curious yourself.

"Yes. Well, that and I thought that maybe we could have a chance of understanding most of these somehow, without a needing a translation."

"Wait. You mean like self-instructed lessons of alien languages or something?" You ask her.

"Well, I wouldn't say self-instructed but…" Tosh trails off. You beam at her.

"I repeat, that's brilliant. Too bad that jerk ruined it."

"Hey! I was bored! It's not my fault!" Owen protests.

"We're supposed to be professionals. We've got a job to do." Tosh glares at Owen. Owen shuts his mouth. Then angrily replies.

"Do you know what, Tosh? Sometimes I think even that stick up your arse has got a stick up its arse."

He walks away. You roll your eyes. "Don't listen to him, he's just pissed at you when he has no right to be. Again, do you need any help? Maybe you could even show me that translation program of yours, once we get your computer running again."

* * *

Later, you go to a bar together. You've been trying not to leave her alone for a while. You let her ramble about everything because it's actually interesting and Tosh's explanations aren't just pure techno babble but also simple techno babble that you can easily understand.

"So, what do you find most interesting about all this?" You ask her once they get you your drinks.

"I wouldn't say interesting—probably not to you—but the most amazing thing would be the similarities with our own culture. But that can be horrible, because we find lots of weapons, and it just makes you think, 'My God, everything wages war.' It's not just a trait of ours, but a trait of existence. It makes you feel so hopeless. But then there are times... We found this thing, it was about A4 size, and it had all these symbols on it. And it took me about three months to translate, and it was a letter someone had written to his family, to his children, to say how much he was missing them. And it just made me cry, because I thought, even across these unimaginable distances, there are fundamentals that stay exactly the same. And there's no-one to talk to about this. I mean, the guys, they're great, but they don't... See it the way I do." She takes a sip of her drink. "I don't suppose you do either."

"Well, it depends. I mean, sure, those artifacts we find are all amazing and all, but sometimes the little things, like the letter you found, are the ones that you don't usually remember because of how similar to our own lives it is, and that's not really good, because then we start treating aliens like they don't have the same feelings we do, like they're completely different, only… It's not always the case." You observe. "But you're right .The guys don't care about this kind of stuff. Just the weapons and how to protect the city and the world from danger, not the amazing little things. Good job, by the way, on translating it. I'm guessing it was hard?"

"Very, but I've translated things more difficult than that." There was no arrogance in Tosh's voice as she said that. In fact, it was almost as if she was dismissing it.

"You're amazing." You take a sip of your drink. "Do you still have that letter? I think I'd like to read it?"

Tosh beams at you. "Sure. I mean, I have a copy of the translation in my computer and it should still be there if Owen's hasn't been messing with it even more." Tosh's expression darkens again.

"You know, Owen can be amazing sometimes but most of the times he's just a jerk. Oh well." Then you can't help but smirk at her. "You have a crush on him, don't you?"

Toshiko blushes. "What? I—" She cuts herself off. "Is it that obvious?" She asks, a little worried she's made a fool of herself.

You wave it off. "Nah. Not really. Owen's either really oblivious or I'm just too good at reading people." You wink.

She blushes even more, and you can't help but chuckle. "It doesn't matter anyway. Like you said, he's a jerk."

"I also said he can be amazing sometimes. Come on, Tosh! I'm tired of gossiping about boys with Caren only! You can tell me! I won't tell another soul!" When you see her hesitate, you add, "Cross my heart, hope to die."

"Well…" She trails off. "I mean, I've had a crush on him since we've met but…" She doesn't finish her sentence, and instead looks at you, probably wondering if you get it.

"But he hasn't shown any interest in you." You roll your eyes. "Boys." You chuckle, and Tosh does too.

Your phone rings, and you check it out. It's Gareth. He wants to confirm the plans you had for tonight. Originally, you two were going to a restaurant but then Caren and Arthur decided to join in. _Maybe Tosh could come_, you think.

"Hey, I was thinking, you don't really have a life outside the Hub, do you?" Tosh blushes a bit more and shakes her head. "I didn't either, but Gareth introduced me to some friends of his. I could introduce you to them as well. They're not tech geniuses but they're pretty cool to spend time with." You offer.

"Really? I mean…" She stays quiet for a while, considering her options. "I—I'd like that." She smiles a little.

"Great." You clap your hands together. "It's settled. Hope you didn't have any plans for tonight." You smile.

* * *

"And she slapped him in the face." Caren giggles while his brother hides his face in his hands. Gareth and you laugh while Tosh cracks a smile.

"How many times will you tell that story?" Arthur complains.

"Let's see… I've said it 10 times already, so 10 more to go." She smiles evily.

"I remember this time, when I was hanging out with some friends, back at home, and this guy walks toward us and starts laughing really loud and pretending he was part of our conversation, which was really weird since he never spoke to us, and a friend decided to prank him, just to get back to him, really. Anyway, then she pulled him apart from the group and acted a whole breakup scene and in the end, instead of slapping him, she grabbed the nearest glass full of… Coke, I think, and she threw it at the guy, and we couldn't help but laugh. I can tell you, he stayed clear of us for two whole years." You tell them.

"Two years? What happened then?" Tosh asks, curious.

You chuckle. "He and my friend started dating. He admitted he'd been doing that just to catch her attention."

"How old was he? 13 years old?" Caren asks.

"Mentally, yeah." You joke.

The rest of the night goes well, and Tosh really seems to be enjoying herself. It's nice, to know that she won't feel so alone now that she has more friends, outside Torchwood, that she can trust. Or at least, you hope she'll get to trust them. Not to tell them about her work but about her feelings and stuff, because you now Caren and Arthur are really nice people, and love messing around, with each other, mostly. Maybe you'll be able to help Tosh trust herself a bit more.

As soon as you get home, you get the blazer off, and put it immediately in the laundry, along with your pants—or trousers, bloody differences between American and British English—and take off your dark red sleeveless top and black flats and change into your pajamas, ready to get some sleep. This day wasn't that bad. You hope it will get just better and better, for everyone's sake, and Tosh's.


	20. Greeks Bearing Gifts: Day 2

**Day 2.**

You get to the Hub before Tosh, which is weird. Maybe Mary has caught up with her already. You sigh as you get back to your paperwork. Ianto passes by and you smile at him.

"Hello."

"Good morning." He greets you. "I was about to make coffee. Do you want some?"

"Please." You say before going back to your paperwork. You thank Ianto when he brings your coffee, and about fifteen minutes later, you can hear the cog wheel turning, and the door opens, revealing Tosh. She's not wearing the pendant and you relax a bit. _Maybe things have changed_, you think, before going back to your paperwork.

"Hey, Tosh." Owen greets her.

"Hi!" You smile at her. "What's up?"

"Oh, not much." She says shyly as she slips to her workstation. Then you notice her hand over something on her neck. _Oh-kay… Maybe she does have the pendant… Oh, never mind._ You give up, and go back to your paperwork, ocassionally keeping an eye on Tosh.

"I've got something to show you." Tosh says.

"Sure." Owen replies, taking his time with the body. You roll your eyes, drop your pen, and approach Tosh's workstation.

"What is it? A device to turn Owen into a more responsible worker?" You joke.

"Oi! I heard that!" Owen protests.

"I… I found this thing…" Tosh trails off. _Well, this proves my theory. She's got the pendant anyway._ Owen approaches you two.

"What thing?" He asks, carefully keeping his voice friendly—or as friendly as it can be with Owen being the one speaking.

"Well…" Tosh trails off again. You can't be thinking anything bad about anything else, mostly because you're actually focused on whatever Tosh is going to say, and because unless it's about someone you hate or someone who's really irritating you, you won't judge them or anything, so it must be Owen's thoughts perturbing her. Sensing that, you punch Owen in the arm.

"Ow! What did I do to you?" He glares at you.

"You were thinking. It's annoying." You quote one of your favorite TV shows. "Now, come again, Tosh. What did you find?"

"Uh… Nothing, never mind." Tosh says dissmissively. You glare at Owen. You know it can't completely be his fault—Tosh must know you know about the pendant since it's been in your mind since she walked in, and that would probably freak her out—but he was the only one being rude, even if mentally.

"All right. Now, if you don't mind, I'll get back to work." He walks away.

"Everything all right, Tosh?" You ask her.

"Yeah, I'm—I'm fine." She waves the question away.

"Okay… Hey, what about the letter? Do you have it?" You ask her, remembering your conversation at the bar yesterday.

"Oh, right. I'll look for it and print it, okay? I'll tell you when I've got it." She tells you.

"All right." You smile at her. "If you want to go to lunch together and avoid all this... craziness or whatever you want to call it, just let me know."

"I will." She smiles at you before going back to work, and you walk back to your workstation. _So… Where was I? Right. The dreaded paperwork…_

* * *

As it turns out, Tosh isn't going to be having lunch with the rest of the team. She's probably with Mary, you decide, and you sigh as you enter the conference room, where the team usually has its meals together.

"Everything okay?" Jack asks as he sits down next to you.

"Fine. Just worried about Tosh." You answer absent-mindedly.

"What did she do now?" Jack sighs, joking.

"Nothing. Owen just messed up all her work and he's being a jerk about it because Tosh got upset. Nothing new." You quickly cover up your real reasons for being worried. "I'm worried she thinks she's useless or something. And if you tell her I told you that then I'll kill you. Again." You add absent-mindedly.

"Again?" Jack frowns at you.

"Uh, nothing. Never mind." It has nothing to do with that fanfiction you wrote a long time ago in which Jack died several times. Nope. Nothing. Note the sarcasm. "Just… Something I wrote." You mumble. Just then, Ianto arrives with the pizzas, Owen following close behind.

"Where's Tosh?" He asks.

"Oh, so now you're worried about her, aren't you?" You mumble.

"What?"

"Nothing." You lie. "I saw her leave for lunch. Probably has a date with her new girlfriend or something."

Owen's expression changed, and you couldn't quite put you finger on whatever it was he was feeling at the moment. "She has a girlfriend? You mean she's a lesbian?"

You roll your eyes. "Oh, come on! Like Jack said once, you people and you quaint little categories. Just because she has a girlfriend right now doesn't mean she's a lesbian. In fact, I'm sure it's nothing serious." You take a slice of pizza, and take a bite. "Okay, I want to thank whoever ordered the pizza since I can't thank whoever made it."

"It was no trouble, really. I do this every day." Ianto answers, and you chuckle.

"Should've known it was you." You say.

"Yeah, who else would it be if not our Tea Boy?" Owen asks. "Because Jack just gets on the phone to talk to the Prime Minister, and I'm too busy working on that skeleton. And you… I don't even know what you do all day."

"Hey! My talks with the PM are important!" Jack complains.

"I miss Harriet Jones…" You mumble. "British government sucks. And yes, I actually do stuff when I'm here. Mainly the paperwork I have that you lot always leave for later. It's like you're better at procrastinating than I am." You joke. "And I also keep an eye on Gwen Cooper, remember her? Just in case she decides to tell everyone she knows about Torchwood." You shrug. "And well, I've got other projects but nothing you'd care about."

"What about Cooper?" Jack asks. "Has she told anyone?"

"As far as I know, she hasn't. She's not a threat either, if that's what you're worried about." You add.

"Good. By the way, Owen, how's the autopsy going?" Jack asks him.

Owen looks down at his pizza and mumbles some answer, but you're too distracted to listen to him. What catches your attention is how Owen's constantly glancing at the door, as if waiting for someone to come in. Probably Tosh.

"So, what about those bets?" Jack asks you and Owen.

"What bets?" Owen looks alarmed.

"Come on! I heard you yesterday! The bets about you being right or wrong about the autopsy." Jack smirks.

Your face lits up. "Right! So, Owen, have you been wrong yet? Five quid per answer." Owen's face falls, and you can't help but laugh at him.

"Does that mean I won ten quid?" You smirk and Jack and Ianto chuckle.

"I hate you." Owen mumbles, loud enough for everyone to hear.

You can't help but smile at that. "Aw, thank you!"

"That wasn't a compliment."

"Doesn't mean I can't take it as one." You smirk.

* * *

Back at your workstation, you roll up your yellow striped jumper as you fill the last form, then check Gwen's computer again. Since you're using Torchwood software, it doesn't really count as hacking, though if there's something Tosh has been teaching you since you started working at Torchwood, is how to hack into other people's computers. And well, hacking in general. You're getting rather good at that.

There's nothing new. Rhys is the one who's usually on the computer, and though there have been some searches about Torchwood—probably made by Gwen since by that time, Gwen's already at home from work and it's too late for Rhys to be up since he has to get up early—nothing important's been found.

Gwen's obviously not giving up on being part of the team, but she seems content as your liaison with the police at the moment. You realize you've been ignoring her for too long, and decide to call her so you can have lunch together, tomorrow.

You hang up just as Tosh comes in. You smile at her.

"Hey! Did you have a nice lunch?" You ask her.

"Oh, it was nice, yes." She smiles a bit. "What about you? I'm sorry I left you with the team but I just—"

"Needed time to be with your girlfriend, I get that." You wink at her. She's wearing the pendant again. There's no way to get her to destroy it, is there? Whatever. If it all goes right, she'll do it anyway… _God, I sound as if I were betraying her! _If you could shake your head without looking daft, you would.

Tosh blushes at your remark. "What do you mean, my girlfriend?"

"Oh, come on!" You smile. "Don't worry, I'll keep it a secret if you want. By the way, I was wondering, when can you teach me that trick you showed me the other day." You ask her.

"Uh, which one?" She asks, a bit confused by the change of subject. You wonder what thoughts she can hear right now. Coming from you, obviously.

"You know, the one you used to enter UNIT's database?" Then you remember you actually do know the password for UNIT. The Doctor said it once.

"Oh, right. Uh, right now I'm a little busy but maybe later."

"Sure." You smile at her. "Gotta get back to my spying anyway."

"Spying?" Tosh looks worried, maybe even a little guilty.

"Yeah. I'm keeping an eye on Gwen Cooper. I just want to make sure she won't tell the whole city about us, you know what I mean?" You chuckle. "Even though it's not like we're kings of secrecy or something. Honestly, the fact that Owen used to order pizza under the name of Torchwood and that the name of the organization is written many times on the SUV doesn't exactly help."

Tosh chuckles nervously. "You're right."

You smile at her before going back to your workstation. As soon as you're done with your spying, you go back to the transcript. You're in the episode 10—Out of Time—and you put on your earphones so that no one can hear the dialogue. You type fast, and you stop every five minutes to fix typo errors and stuff.

Once you're halfway done with that one, you save the file and decide to do something else. Since you've done all your paperwork and done your daily spying, and your only side projects are the transcripts, you don't really know what to do, until Tosh approaches your workstation.

You look at her, expectantly. "What is it?"

"I got the letter you wanted." She gives it to you, and you smile at her, gratefully.

"Thank you, Tosh! How's your work going?" You ask her.

"Oh, it's… Good, I guess. I'm just tired so I'm progressing slowly, if you know what I mean."

"Of course. It's happened to me many times. By the way, I'm going to have lunch with Gwen Cooper tomorrow. Do you want to come or—?" You leave the question unfinished.

"Oh no, I wouldn't want to trouble you." Tosh refuses.

"You wouldn't be troubling us. Or me, anyway." And it's true. Tosh is one of the most brilliant at Torchwood, and also one of the nicest and most caring workers. Gwen's usually too focused on one thing to worry about another. Single-minded, you think that's the term, but you're not sure. Then there's Owen, who's drowning in bitter feelings because of what happened to Katie. It's obvious that even though he might be over it, he still hates most aliens because of that. Then you have Ianto, whose life has been repeatedly ruined by the cruelest aliens in the universe. It's not like he has a pretty important job here, which is a shame, but it's enough. And, even though he's your favorite, there's a reason you brOTP him and Tosh. Because they're alike in so many ways. Then you have Jack who's… Hard to describe in a few words.

"Still… I… I have work to do, and paperwork and—" She starts rambling.

"Okay, I get it. Don't have time for lil' ol' me." You joke. "S'okay. I understand." Tosh starts to walk away. "Oh, and Tosh." She stops and turns toward you. "Thanks again." You hold up the letter, and she smiles, as if relieved, before walking away. _That was odd_, you think.

* * *

After reading the letter, Jack calls you to his office. When you enter, he tells you to close the door, and so you do.

"What is it?" You ask.

"Have you noticed anything strange about Tosh?" He asks you.

"If by strange you mean she's acting as if she's disappointed in us or something and seems to have no reason at all, yep."

"Do you know what's wrong with her?" He asks.

"It's not what's wrong with her, it's what's wrong with us." You glance at her. "Maybe it isn't right to tell you yet. I don't know… Let's leave her one more day and if she doesn't say anything till then, I'll tell you everything you want to know." You propose.

Jack hesitates. "All right. Tomorrow, if nothing changes, you'll have to give me some answers." You nod.

* * *

Back at home, you kick your light brown ankle boots off and put down your black messenger bag before preparing some dinner. Since there's not much to do—you still have to go to the grocery store—you prepare lasagna, and eat it while watching TV.

When walking back to the kitchen, you almost trip because of your own boyfriend cut jeans, but manage to get to the kitchen in one piece and wash the dishes.

Then you lie down on your bed, your fingers playing with your key necklace, as you think of Tosh. Is she all right? Is Mary already messing with her mind, trying to break her? Maybe you should've told Jack. That's the last thought that goes through your mind before you fall asleep.


	21. Greeks Bearing Gifts: Day 3

**Day 3.**

You wake up, a little sleepy. You take a shower and get ready to work. You're not really hungry, so you eat a granola bar and a drink glass of OJ before leaving for work. You walk into Gareth and you spend the whole trip from your apartments to the entrance of the building chatting about whatever comes to your minds.

When you get to the Hub, Owen's mumbling about how stupid he's been. That's so weird that you just need to check what happened.

"Why are you stupid? I mean, there are plenty of reasons but I want to know which one you're thinking of."

Owen glares at you, before mumbling, "I owe you ten quid."

"What?" You ask him to repeat, though you heard him perfectly well.

"I owe you ten quid. I hope you heard it because I won't say it again."

"So, what did you get wrong?" You ask, amused. He explains it to you, and even though you expected it, you can't help but laugh so hard that you can't breathe, and you drop to the ground, still laughing, and holding your stomach because of how badly it hurts.

Jack has to come and check on your because Owen's alerted the entire Hub of the hysteria crisis you're having.

"You all right?" Jack asks you, and you nod, but still can't stop laughing. "What happened?" He asks Owen.

"I told her I owe her ten quid. Then I explained what I got wrong and she started laughing and doesn't stop. She might die." He doesn't look exactly sad at the thought. You wipe your eyes that had been filled with tears, and manage to calm yourself down.

"Jesus Christ," you mumble, "that hurt. I'm blaming you, Owen."

"Why? What did I do now?"

"You tried to kill me!"

"I didn't!" Owen protests.

"Yes, you did! You tried to make me laugh to death! If that's my cause of death, I'll find a way to come back and I'll haunt you until you die too! By laughing! I'll come back and haunt you until you've died laughing!" You yell. It's stupid, you know, but you're also joking so it's not like it's a real threat. Owen just gives you a weird look and you start laughing again like crazy.

That's when Tosh comes in, and approaches you three. Jack is laughing too, you notice, and you try to calm yourself down, partly because you don't want to have another crisis and because if Tosh asks questions, you want to answer them.

Owen starts throwing things at you, but they make you laugh even harder, and Jack just avoids the stuff Owen throws at him.

"What's going on?" Tosh asks, and she takes a step back to avoid the stuff Owen is throwing.

"You know the skeleton we found at the building site?" You ask, smiling. Tosh nods. "Well, guess what? I won the bets."

"What do you mean?"

"Let me explain." Owen intervenes.

"At the building site, Owen said a woman was killed by a single gunshot." You cut Owen off.

"I'd been there, like, a minute?" Owen tries to defend himself, but you ignore him.

"Since then, he's had to… tweak some of his initial deductions. For example, this isn't a woman. It's a man!" You laugh again.

"Yes, it's a man." Owen admits, grudgingly. "A very girly man."

"But still a man. And the cause of death. Owen said GSW." You shake your head. "But the universe apparently hates Owen and the correct answer is…" You make a drum sound with your fingers, tapping on the railing, and then show Owen with your hands, as he mumbles,

"Unidentified trauma. _But_…" He starts, but doesn't get to finish.

"Unidentified trauma?" Tosh asks.

"Yep. But there was one thing that could be ruled out. And that was…" You present Owen again.

"Gunshot wound." He mumbles.

"Gunshot wound!" You crack a smile. "I swear, sometimes I wonder if you're a real doctor." You joke as you walk up to your workstation. Then you turn to Owen, and, since he's a bit far, you scream, "And remember! You owe me ten quid!"

Owen grumbles and you chuckle before sitting down at your workstation. You don't have any new paperwork to fill so you quickly check up on Gwen, see how she's doing, then decide to start a case. Nothing too dangerous or anything. Just a little research and stuff. Maybe you should start preparing for the 456 attack, but since the only records you have are in 1965 and it's supposed to be secret…

You sigh. The Doctor could help. Still, you decide to do a little research on the aliens you've got on record. You look up some stuff on the computer's database, but there's not much. It's like this Torchwood Three knows little more about aliens other than weevils and addict blowfish. You still read it all, before checking the time on your watch and realizing that you've got that lunch with Gwen.

You knock on the door of Jack's office.

"Yeah?" He asks you.

"I'm going out for lunch. Gonna meet Gwen." You inform him.

"All right. Take a long lunch. I won't call you unless it's an emergency." He tells you.

"Sure." You nod.

"One thing…" He hesitates, and looks over at Tosh, sitting at her workstation. "Tosh asked me before about Philoctetes. Do you know why?"

"Suspecting her already?" You raise an eyebrow. "Anyway, I thought we'd agreed. Let's give her today, and if nothing happens, I'll tell you later. I have to go now. See ya!"

Jack doesn't stop you from leaving. You meet Gwen at a little restaurant near the police station she works at. You greet each other, sit down and order.

"So?" She asks. "How's work? I bet it's amazing."

You smile. "Yeah, it is. A bit terrifying though, but I love it."

Gwen smiles too. "I envy you! I wish I could work for Torchwood." Gwen said.

"Maybe one day you will." You don't know if this is true or not, but you hope so. Gwen could get to be a very good employee if she doesn't make the same mistakes as before, and now that you're there to help, maybe you could actually stop her from making the same mistakes and direct her to a right path or something.

"Maybe."

You spend the rest of your lunch, talking about many things in general. It's like you've known each other for years. And technically, you _have_ known her for a while.

When you get back to the Hub, you find Tosh and Owen talking at the medical bay. Owen makes a comment and Tosh smiles at him. You smile a bit at the sight of them, but you jump when Ianto clears his throat.

"Jesus Christ!" You can't help but say.

"No, it's me, Ianto Jones." He replies, deadpanned.

"Oh really? I didn't know!" You say sarcastically. "What's up?"

"Not much, really. Jack told me you wanted to look into the archives." He says.

"Yes, I wanted to check some records about alien encounters Torchwood's had before." You reply, making a mental note to thank Jack as soon as you see him.

"Well, tell me whenever you want to go in." Ianto says.

"All right." You nod. Then Tosh arrives. "Hey, Tosh!" You greet her.

"Hello." She greets you again. "Has Jack said anything to you about the hardware we found with the skeleton?"

_So… She spoke to Mary again…_ You think before you remind yourself not to think about it anymore. You don't think any of the team are ready to know the truth. It's still to early in their timelines. But you wonder if Jack has told Ianto, now that they're more… intimate with each other, if we have to put it in words.

Tosh looks surprised, and you mentally curse yourself. Of course she's still wearing the pendant. Never mind.

"He's told me nothing about it." You shake your head "Sorry."

"He hasn't told me either." Ianto answers. "Why?"

"No worries. Just asking." Tosh smiles before leaving.

"Oh, and," Ianto tells you, "there's copies of that Michael Hamilton statement on your desk. He's still seeing Cybermen outside his mother's house."

"Oh," you nod, pensive. "Sure. I'll check it out later."

"Coffee?" He asks as he lifts a tray full of mugs.

You can't help but smile at that. "Thank you!"

* * *

After checking the whole Michael Hamilton case, you walk to the archives, just to find Ianto there.

"What are you looking for?" He asks you.

"D'you have anything about the Arcateenians, or Arcans?" You ask.

"Not much. Let me see." He walks off into the archives, looking for some files. Fortunately, you don't have to wait long. Ianto brings a file, a very thin one at that. "Like I said, we don't have much, but I hope this is enough." He says while handing you the file.

You smile at him. "Thanks." Then you walk back to your workstation and start reading about the Arcateenians.

* * *

"What are you investigating?" Jack approaches you, about an hour later.

"Arcateenians or Arcans." You answer absent-mindedly.

"What did you find?"

"Not much. They come from Arcateen. They have a written language… You need to add some info here." You comment.

"I'm sure if you do a report and print it, you could give it to Ianto later." Jack says.

"Yep." Then, you remember the mental note you made before. "Thanks for telling Ianto by the way." When Jack just gives you a confused look, you elaborate. "About wanting to check the archives?"

"Oh! Sure. No problem." He waves it off. "What else did you find?"

"Made of liquid but take a humanoid form. They require large amounts of energy to maintain their shape in any planet with a stronger gravitational field than their own. Their skin has some sort of blue tint. I also found an Arcateenian's skill set depends on which planet it came from." You look up from the file. "That's about it. There are descriptions and stuff. Lots more I could add, though."

"Then work on it. I'll check on you later, so we can talk about Tosh."

"She hasn't said anything, has she?" You know the answer, so you're not surprised when Jack shakes his head.

"She… She tried to talk about the object we found? And then…" He looked around to make sure she wasn't there. "I think she tried to read my mind."

You nod. "Possible. I'll tell you more about it later, once I'm finished with this." You point at your computer.

Jack nods. "Sure. I've got to call the Prime Minister."

"Again?" You raise an eyebrow.

"What can I say? They don't take us seriously. Told me to call him back in a few hours, and every time I've tried, they tell me to wait for about an hour just to tell me to call back later." Jack rolls his eyes. "I miss Harriet Jones."

"Yeah… Anyway, good luck!" You say.

"Thanks. I'll need it." He walks toward his office, and you chuckle, before typing the extra info you know about the Arcans.

"Even though they have a written language," you mumble as you type, "they communicate through a telepathic signal, picked up by Arcateenian pendants. They have faster-than-light travel capabilites, including transporter systems and superluminal communications technology, having developed this by our early 1800s at the latest."

When you're finished, you print it, save the document, just in case, and give it to Ianto, along with the file. You tell him that you've added something to the file, and it's right there. He nods, thanks you for sharing your knowledge with the rest and disappears into the archives to put the file back in his place.

* * *

Tosh is gone by the time Owen yells at Jack to come. Curious, you approach them as well, and you hear Owen explaining, talking about Operation Lowry.

"I worked on this case, before I joined Torchwood. Her name was Lucy Marmer. Her diagnostic was the same. Heart removed, and ribs punctured. I'd only been qualified for six months back then… Anyway, I looked at the other cases in Operation Lowry, and the diagnostic is always the same. It goes back to the early 1800s." Owen tells Jack.

Jack loos thoughtful. "All right, I'll need the official report on that. Lucy, I need to speak to you. Now."

"Someone's gonna get sacked." Owen mumbles under his breath, but you hear him, and glare at him before following Jack into his office.

"You've got to tell me what's going on." He demands.

"All right." You nod. "There was this girl—she was outside the tent in which we found the body and the transporter." You're going to continue but Jack cuts you off.

"Transporter?"

"Yes. That device we found? It's an Arcateenian transporter. A two man transporter. For a guard and a prisoner. That prisoner escaped, and possessed Mary's body and killed a soldier that was pursuing Mary for… never mind. Anyway, she killed her guard, possessed Mary and killed the soldier, and the skeleton over there? That's the soldier. And Mary, she's been keeping an eye on us, on Tosh. She's been… Well, remember when I mentioned Tosh's new girlfriend? That's her. I tried to help Tosh at first, remind her that we're her friends, but Owen's thoughts aren't exactly friendly and—"

"All right. Just, what do you mean by 'Owen's thoughts'?" Jack asks you.

"Right. Well, Mary gave Tosh a pendant—surely you've seen it, Tosh has been wearing it for the past few days, with emerald stones… no? anyway—and she uses that pendant to hear thoughts. She can't control it, but she still uses it. And I think Mary's using it to drive her mad. I thought it would change this time but… Apparently not."

"Okay…" Jack said absent-mindedly, obviously thinking about what you could do. Just then, there was a knock on the door and Ianto came in.

"Am I interrupting something?" He asked when he saw the two of you.

"Not at all. Come in." Jack invited him in. He quickly informed Ianto of what was happening.

"If the device is a transporter then maybe you could use it to take her to somewhere she won't hurt anyone." Ianto proposed.

"What about the center of the sun?" Jack asked.

"That sounds a bit harsh. Isn't there a space police?" Ianto wondered.

"Yep. The Shadow Proclamation." You answer.

"Then why not send her there? She'll be judged and since she already tried to escape, this time she'll be better guarded." Ianto said.

Jack hesitated for a moment, then nodded. You suspect that if you had proposed that solution, he'd have thought about it but in the end he'd have chosen the center of the sun. You always knew that Ianto was a good influence to Jack, but you didn't expect it to happen now. Not that you complain. If anything, you love that it's happening right now. "You're right. We need a plan. What do you reckon she's going to do next?" Jack asks you.

Your eyes flicker over to where Ianto is and you wonder if he knows. "She'll probably try to get into Torchwood. Get her transporter back. I'm not sure."

Jack raises an eyebrow at you. Then something crosses his mind. "Oh, right. It's okay, Ianto knows."

"Oh. Okay. Then yes, she'll convince Tosh to bring her here so she can get back the transporter. But then… Well, everyone showed up, and she took Tosh as a hostage, and you gave her the transporter in exchange for Tosh. It was set to enable, and you'd changed the coordinates to the center of the sun." You tell him.

"You could've at least warned me about the spoilers." Jack jokes.

"Yeah, well, I guess I just don't want Tosh to go through the same thing again." You shrug.

"Fair enough. When is she coming?"Jack asks.

"Tomorrow night." You answer almost immediately.

Jack nods. "We'll be ready. Tell Owen to go home. I'll give Tosh the day off, so we can get ready for everything."

"Sure." You stand up. "See you tomorrow." You say goodbye to the two of them and walk toward Owen's medical bay. Music's blasting from the speakers and you curse his lousy taste in music. "Owen bloody Harper, turn this shit down!" You yell to be heard over the music.

"Oi! This is not shit! This is good music!" Owen complains. You roll your eyes.

"Yeah, whatever. Jack says it's time to go home." You tell him.

"Why couldn't he come and tell me himself?" When you don't answer, he groans. "Let me guess. He's too busy shagging the Tea Boy, isn't he?"

"That's my theory." You nod.

"Let's get out of here before I throw up." He says, standing up, and you laugh. Owen glares at you. "And if I do throw up, it'lls be on you." He points at you.

You stop laughing. "Hey! It's a new shirt!" You protest, referring to your new green tunic, that has a belt assorted.

"Whatever." Owen rolls his eyes and walks past you. You follow him, grabbing your black messenger bag on the way.

You two keep bantering until you part ways. When you enter your house, you take off your jewelry—you're only wearing a black lace stretch bangle and your wristwatch—and start doing the dishes you've been postponing. When you're done, you dry your hands with a towel, and walk away before realizing it's not enough, and you're hands are still a bit wet. You wipe them on your jeans, and remove your combat boots, lying down on the couch, turning on the TV. You need to relax, and what a better way to do that than to get hooked up on a TV show that only exists in this universe?

You fall asleep on the couch, the TV still on, and when you wake up in the morning, you're glad you had the reflex to take a blanket with you when you lied down to watch TV.


	22. Greeks Bearing Gifts: Day 4

**Day 4.**

You wake up when you hear a scream, instinctively reaching out for a gun that isn't there. You realize it's just the TV, that was still turned on when you fell asleep. You also realize you fell asleep on your day clothes. You push away the blanket, turn off the TV, and rub your eyes.

You're tired, but not enough to go back to sleep. So, instead, you check the time. It's 6 am. You put the dirty clothes on the laundry, and take a shower, changing into a simple outfit: a white shirt with a dreamcatcher printed on it, ripped boyfriend cut jeans, and a gray pair of converse. You washed your hair, so, as soon as you're dressed, you dry it and then make breakfast, which consists of fried eggs, bacon and a glass of OJ.

After that, you brush your teeth, and it's barely 7:15. You've got fifteen minutes till you leave your house. You turn on your TV again, just to watch part of the morning news. At seven thirty, your phone rings.

"Hello?" You turn off the TV and stand up, grabbing your military jacket, your keys and your phones on your way out.

"Lucy? It's Owen. Remind me never to get to the Hub early again." He says.

You frown. "You called me just for that?" You ask as you press the button, calling the elevator.

"That and, to give you an advice. Never go to the Hub early. NEVER." He insists. You want to laugh, but instead you raise an eyebrow, even though he can't see you.

"Why?" You sound amused, because you are. "What did you see?"

"The sight of Jack and Ianto having a morning shag isn't very nice." You can practically hear him grimacing. You can't help but burst out laughing at his revelation.

"Really?"

"Yeah, really. Oh, and, when are you coming?" He asks.

"I'll be there in half an hour, as usual." You enter the elevator, hoping you won't lose the connection. Fortunately, you don't. "Tosh isn't there, right?"

"Apparently Jack gave her a day off." He grumbles.

"What, you jealous?" You tease him.

"I have no idea what you're talking about. Anyway, Jack wants to see you in his office as soon as you get here. And if you're going to have a threesome, please let me know so I can throw up and leave the Hub before I walk in on you." He comments.

"Owen!" You can't help but snort at the idea. "I have a boyfriend." You remind him. "And there's no way I'm having a threesome with Jack and Ianto."

"Well, if they invite your boyfriend, it'll be a foursome." Owen adds.

"Owen?" You ask sweetly. "As soon as I get there, I'll punch you in the face, hard enough to give you a nose bleed. Are we clear?" You add, still with that sweet tone.

"Fine, fine, no more sex jokes." He sighs, but you know he'll make them again. You just hope he'll stay quiet for at least today. You hang up, and walk faster, decided to get to the Hub before Owen throws another tantrum. It's funny, though. In the original timeline, this didn't happen. It's nice, to know that even if you've messed up, there are things that you didn't intend to change, that still changed, and for the better.

* * *

When you get to the Hub, the awkwardness between the three of them is tangible. You shrug your jacket off and put it on the coat rack besides the door.

"Hello, people!" You call out, since no one's acknowledged you. "Did I miss something?" You ask as you walk up the steps toward the workstations, where Owen, Ianto and Jack are reunited.

Owen grumbles something unintelligible, and you don't bother to try and understand what he said. Ianto just asks you if you want a coffee and, before you can answer, slips into the kitchen. You raise an eyebrow at that, then look at Jack, hoping he'll explain. Instead, he says, "I'm having some trouble with the coordinates. If only the Doctor was here…"

"Yeah, well, if he was, I'm sure he'd be happy to know that you're not killing Mary, and instead you're sending her to the Shadow Proclamation." You comment.

Owen looks between the two of you, then grunts. "All right, all right, I'm not needed. I'll be in my medical bay if you need anything." He walks away fast.

"Oh-kay… No, I'm serious. Did I miss anything? Other than what Owen told me over the phone." You insist.

"What did he tell you?"

"That he walked in on you two." You say as you approach the transporter that's over one of the tables.

"He just started rambling about how we should give him a heads up."

"Okay…" You shrug the issue off. You've got more important matters at the moment. "Anyway, do you want me to get you the files about the Arcateenians?" You ask him.

"No need. I just need the coordinates… There should be a file in my office." He gives you his keys. "It's about the Shadow Proclamation. If you're having trouble, just come back and I'll ask Ianto to go."

"It's all right." You walk toward his office and start looking for the locked compartments and after five minutes, you find a little file about the Shadow Proclamation. You grab it, lock the compartment and bring it to Jack. Ianto's already there, and giving a coffee to Jack. Instead of thanking him, Jack pulls Ianto into a quick kiss, and it takes all of your self-control not to squeak.

Before they notice you staring, you advert your eyes towards the file, and keep waling. You look up a second later, to find Ianto looking at you, tray in hand, and Jack focusing back on the transporter. You hold up the file. "Found it."

"Good." Jack doesn't look at you, just nods. You give him the fiel, and then Ianto gives you your coffee. You thank him, and he leaves to give Owen his mug.

"You've got the coordinates there?" You ask him.

"Some of them. The not-so-important bases, just in case someone breaks in in the middle of the night and tries to prank-call them. They don't have a sense of humor, let alone prank calls." He rambles as he opens the file and his eyes pass quickly over the printed letters and numbers. "Found it. It should work… Let me test it." He says. "Stand back."

You know better than to contradict him, so you step back, and watch Jack disappear into a flash of light. He comes back, looking unharmed, but you know better than to make assumptions based on his appearance. "How did it go?" You ask him.

"They didn't kill me." Jack says. "That's a good thing."

"I bet. So.. does this mean everything's ready for tonight?" You ask.

"As long as you can keep it out of your minds when we're facing Mary, I think we'll be all right." Jack puts the transporter down. "It has power enough to last just one trip, so we better get it right the first time, because if we don't…" He doesn't finish the thought, and you don't really want to finish it for him.

"We'll just wait then."

* * *

It's about 8:30, 9 o'clock when Tosh brings Mary into the Hub.

"So, where is it, lover?" Mary asks Tosh. You're watching them on the CCTV in another room. Why? Because You're not sure you'll purposely not think about the plan, and Owen and Ianto are with you for the same reason. Owen clenches his fists when Mary calls Tosh her "lover".

Toshiko turns around, to face the alien. "Stay here. Jack, my boss, has got it." She replies. She tries walking past Mary, but she grabs her by the arm, and stops her.

"Be quick. I've a long journey ahead of me." She runs her hand down Tosh's chest, near her heart. "I might need something to eat before I go." She says, smiling slightly, and Owen stands up immediately, looking like he's about to go on a killing spree. Jack stops him, and leaves the room, to interrupt them himself.

"This what you're looking for?" Jack holds up the transporter.

"Jack!" Tosh exclaims.

Jack walks down the steps, very slowly. "Friend of mine—let's call him Vincent. That was his name, after all. Regular guy, girlfriend, likes his sport, likes a beer. He starts acting a little... strange, a little distracted. Suddenly he disappears for a couple of months. He comes back, and we've gotta start calling him Vanessa. Since then I've always been a little nervous when a friend behaves out of character." He rambles. He looks at Mary. "I'm sorry, we haven't been introduced. Jack Harkness. My guess is you're not from around these parts." Mary stays quiet. "Now this... This is incredible. You know what it is?"

Tosh answers. "It's a transporter. Mary was a political prisoner—she was exiled here. Look, Jack—" Jack cuts her off.

"You've got half of it right. Mary... It is Mary, isn't it? You want to tell her the really interesting bit?" She doesn't answer. You can see Owen is dying to go there and save Tosh, but Jack insisted that you all stay in the conference room until Mary's gone for good. "No? Chatty, isn't she? I don't know how you got a word in edgeways, Tosh. It's a two man transporter. Or whatever you people may be. You might be squids, for all I know. A two-squid transporter. Room for one prisoner and one guard. You want to tell us what happened to the guard, Mary?"

This time, Mary answers. "I killed him." She smiles. Toshiko turns to look at her. "But I was disturbed. Then another came—a soldier. He tried to shoot me. So I plunged my new human hand into his chest and plucked out his heart."

Owen grits his teeth. "And that's what that bitch wants to do to Tosh."

"Is that what you've been doing ever since?" Tosh asks, shocked and a bit disgusted.

"This form needs to be fed. You understand why I did it, don't you?" Mary gets her innocent façade again, and Owen punches the table.

"I…" Tosh can't answer, torn apart.

"I fled before any more soldiers came. I had so much to explore! And how I loved this body. So soft. So wicked. The power such a body has in this world. Within a few years the forest had gone, transporter was safely buried under the spread of the city. I didn't care, I wasn't exactly in a hurry to get home."

"And you've been killing ever since." Jack finishes her story.

"I knew there might come a time when my situation here became complicated, but I was safe, as long as I knew where the transporter was." She explains.

"And then the machine was uncovered." Jack tries to get her talking, not for his benefit, but Toshiko's. So she won't be so heart-broken when Jack finally sends her to the Shadow Proclamation.

"As soon as the air touched its surface, I could feel it. So I found my Toshiko. My beautiful Toshiko." She walks closer to Tosh, who freezes.

"Don't you get near her!" Owen threatens, though only you and Ianto can hear him, since you're the only ones in the conference room.

"Don't." Jack makes a step toward the girls. Mary moves in in a blur, and grabs a knife before grabbing Tosh, holding the knife against her throat.

"One more step and she dies." Mary threatens. You can see how Tosh's eyes widen with fear, and you can see how useless Owen feels, and you can tell he wishes he could be there to help Tosh.

Jack seems to hesitate. "I'll… I'll give you the transporter. Just leave Tosh alone."

Jack approaches the girls carefully, and when he's close enough, Mary pushes Tosh away, who falls to the ground, but stands up quickly, still a bit shaken. Mary gets a good grip on the artifact, but looks at Jack in a strange way.

"You smell... different to them." She comments.

"That's nothing. It's when you compare teeth with a British guy, that's when it's really scary." Jack's being his normal self.

Mary seems to be fascinated by him. "What are you?"

"I don't know." Jack answers seriously.

"And you would have put me in a cage?" She asks. At that moment, the transporter powers up, and Mary realizes it. "What's happening?"

"Oh, that. I re-programmed it for you. It's set to enable." Jack smiled at her, and that's when Owen burst out of the conference room and ran to where Jack, Tosh and Mary are. You exchange a glance with Ianto, and you both start running to join them. You get there just when Mary disappears into a flash of light.

"Where did you send her?" Tosh asks Jack.

"To the center of the sun. It shouldn't be hot. I mean, we sent her there at night and everything." Jack jokes, but quickly adds when he sees Tosh's accusing glare. "I sent her to the Shadow Proclamation, or as Owen calls it, the Space Police. They should take care of her, for now."

Tosh stays quiet, tears streaming down her face. Owen approaches her.

"Are you okay?" He asks her. No need to exchange glances with the rest of the team to know that they need time alone, so you go home, and Jack and Ianto go to wherever it is they go to give people privacy.

* * *

When you get home, the first thing you do is finish the transcript of the eleventh episode, and start working on the twelfth, when your phone rings. It's Tosh.

"Hey, Tosh." You greet her.

"Hello." Tosh says. "I was wondering if we could… If we could hang out one of these days." You're a bit taken aback by her question, so when Tosh doesn't hear any answer from your part, she starts speaking again. "It's just… With Mary and everything, I just… I…" She hesitates. "I need a friend right now."

"Of course Tosh. Just tell me when. My social life's just Torchwood and Gareth, Caren and Arthur so I'm free most of the time."

"That's… good." You can practically hear Tosh smiling, even if it probably isn't a wide one. "Is it okay if we meet this Sunday?" She asks.

"Sure. Oh, and, Tosh? It's nice to have you back."

You hang up soon after, and you decide to go to bed, since it's been a tiring couple of days. You just hope you acually get to have that hang out with Tosh, and it doesn't get replaced by a Torchwood emergency. You silently ask the Rift if he can permit a quiet Sunday before you fall asleep.


	23. Greeks Bearing Gifts: Bonus Chapter

**A/N: I just wanted to thank you for all the reviews, follows and favorites. Thank you! It really means a lot. I hope you like the bonus chapter. It's a bit short, sorry. Still, hope you like it.**

**Greeks Bearing Gifts.**

"Are you okay?" Owen asks her. Tears are streaming down her face. No, she's not okay. Of course she's not okay. Toshiko doesn't notice the rest of the team leave. She barely notices when Owen pulls up two chairs for them two sit down, and wraps his arms around her, in a comforting manner. Tosh just cries. There was a time when she would've been thrilled Owen was paying attention to her, hugging her, trying to comfort her, but no, Tosh is too shocked, too heart-broken to think about that. To say anything.

Owen's presence is greatly appreciated, though. She doesn't know how to let him know that, and she doesn't want to speak, because if she does, sobs would turn her words into unintelligible mumbling, and she would have to repeat it a few times before Owen could understand.

Tosh is grieving. She isn't just brokenhearted because Mary went away. She's brokenhearted because Mary lied to her. Made her feel like she could finally trust someone, just to use her. And Tosh is sure Mary would've killed her as well.

So, the only thing she can do is cry on Owen's shoulder, with him mumbling soothing words that she doesn't bother to hear. Just having Owen near here is enough for her to start calming down. But she is so emotionally exhausted, that she finds herself asleep in no time, and Owen starts stroking her hair. At least Tosh is not alone, not lonely, because that would be the worse thing that could happen to her. Being lonely is a curse, and even though the person with her doesn't need to be a potential love interest, Toshiko couldn't be more grateful Owen is with her, and she wouldn't have chosen anybody else to try and cheer her up.


	24. They Keep Killing Suzie: Day 1

**Day 1.**

You open the door of the SUV so you, Tosh and Owen can walk out. Jack and Ianto are on the front. They also get out of the SUV.

A detective approaches you. "At last. You must be Torchwood? My team bitch about you all the time." You shiver at her voice, and bring your black leather jacket closer to you. It's not cold, but her voice certainely is. You remember her, all right. She wasn't exactly nice with Torchwood and Jack.

"And you are?" Jack asks her.

"Detective Swanson." The detective answers.

"I'm Captain Jack Harkness." They shake hands.

"So I've heard. Are you always this dressy for a murder investigation?" She asks. You feel a bit self-conscious about what you're wearing: besides your leather jacket, you're wearing a sleeveless cape tunic, which was a gradation from red to light orange to white (from bottong to top), ripped black skinny jeans and your beloved combat boots.

Jack takes off his sunglasses in a flirty way. "What, you'd rather me naked?"

"God help me, the stories are true." Detective Swanson says out loud, more to herself than the others. You can't help but chuckle at that, and Jack puts his glasses back on.

"Who are the victims?" You know this scene, so you know exactly what to ask.

"Yesterday, a man was murdered at 96 Oakham Street, Alex Arwyn—28, single, estate agent. Here we go, that's from the scene of crime." She gives a file to Jack, who opens it and starts looking at the photographs. "Today, in here, we get two more, Mark and Sara Briscoe, both 33, married, he's a surveyor, she works in education."

"What about the smears of blood? Is that writing?" Ianto looks over Jack's shoulder and asks.

"Work in progress. Come inside and see the finished thing." Detective Swanson says, and starts walking toward the house, with the team following close behind.

Jack's the first one to enter, and he grimaces when he sees the bodies, lying on their bed, their throats slashed and blood everywhere.

"Looks like somebody wants your attention." The detective says, looking at a writing in the wall. It says TORCHWOOD, and it's written in blood.

"They've got it." Jack assures her.

Jack's talking with the detective about the case while Owen opens his kit. Ianto's scribbling something down, and after looking around for a while, taking in your surroundings, you start to open your kit as well. Tosh is in the SUV, trying to find a connection between the victims.

"We found a few of the killer's hairs from the first murder. Lab results should be in soon." Detective Swanson says.

"Good, we'll need that. Now, if you could just clear the room? Some of this equipment is strictly need to know." Jack asks, but it's more of an order than a question.

She sighs and turns to the door. "It was only a matter of time." She mumbles.

"What was?" Jack asks.

"Torchwood walks all over this city, like you own it. Now these people are paying the price—ordinary people, ripped apart, with your name written in their own blood. From where I'm standing, you did this, Captain Jack Harkness. You did it." Before she can turn around and walk away, you stop her.

"Hold on a minute. Many people walk like they own the city, doesn't mean they do. We don't either. We protect it, from things you couldn't even imagine. And sure, this is horrible, but if it didn't happen, the world wouldn't need us. We have to stop whatever this is, to stop it from happening again. So, I wonder where you are standing since this isn't Torchwood's fault, let alone Jack's." _The guy already blames himself for everything_, you think, not wanting to say it out loud, _and you're just making it worse. _"Now if you would excuse us, we have work to do."

She just glares at you before walking away. SOCO leaves as well, and you close the door behind them. Then you turn to the wall with TORCHWOOD written on it, changing the subject before anyone can make a comment.

"This isn't pretty." You comment.

"Still, at least we've got a head start. If it's someone we've pissed off, that narrows it down to... ooh, four or five million." You can always count on Owen to be his sarcastic cynical self. He snaps his latex gloves on.

"And that's just the humans. Tosh, how we doing?" Jack asks.

"There's no record of Mr. and Mrs. Briscoe on our database. Nor yesterday's victim, and no link between him and the Briscoes. No connection between any of them." She says over the comms. She pauses, then adds, "Jack? They've got the results on the killer's hair."

As soon as you're finished with the crime scene, the team exits the house and Jack goes to talk to the detective.

"Initial findings say, Caucasian male, early 40s, smoker, drinks tequila. Doesn't match any DNA profiles. Only thing of interest is a compound we've never seen before. Recognize it?" She says, a bit coldly since she's still pissed.

Owen takes the file and starts reading it. "Oh, we're in trouble." He says.

"What is it?" Jack asks him.

"Compoud B67."

"You're kidding?" Jack turn to him.

"Retcon. He's got retcon in his blood." Owen says.

* * *

You go back at the Hub, and there, you go to the conference room. Ianto excuses himself to go make coffee for the team while you set it all up.

"B67, aka Retcon, aka the magic ingredient of the amnesia pill." Owen says as Ianto walks back in.

"Which means the killer is someone we've given the pill before." You add.

"Is he remembering that he's a serial killer? Or is he becoming a serial killer because of the Retcon?" Owen wonders.

"Ianto, how many people have we given amnesia pills to?" Jack asks him.

"2 008." Ianto says as he pulls up a chair and sits down, after having given everyone their mug.

"Hey, what if they all become psychotic?!" Owen wonders, looking excited.

"D'you have to sound so happy?" Tosh asks him.

"I'm just saying. Mean Streets!" You can't help but chuckle at his reply.

"Tosh, narrow the list down to fit Swanson's profile, start checking them out as fast as you can." Then he turns to you and Owen. "You two, there's got to be a link between the victims, find the link, find the killer. Get to it!"

"As long as we don't have to use the glove, that's fine by me." You mutter a little too loudly before standing up after Owen and walking out. It's a good thing that you know where to look.

You don't look up Pilgrim because it was never registered on the internet, but you know the names so you find them, the ones that are still alive.

You write down the names of the members, and cross out the names of the people that are already dead. Only two are left. Lucy McKenzie and Max Tresilian. You know who the killer is, so you circle Max's name and look for a picture of him on the records, print it, and take it to Jack.

You knock on his office. "Found something."

"Come in, then." You hear Jack's answer, so you open the door. Ianto's there as well, and you have to admit that's amazing. An amazing opportunity to tease them as well.

"Here you go." You give him the papers, and he reads them.

"What's Pilgrim?" He asks.

"A, uh, small Cardiff-based discussion group on metaphysical and philosophical matters, run by the Briscoes." You answer.

"Okay… So Max is the killer?" He asks you.

"Yep. And he's going to kill Lucy unless we find him. Printed a picture of him, just in case." And that's when Jack looks at the other paper you gave him. "All right but… There are 4 names crossed?" Jack asks.

Maybe you shouldn't have crossed it enough for them not to be readable. "Yep. Last one's Suzie."

His eyes widen. "Suzie's the one who gave him the pills?"

"Yeah." You answer. "One pill every week for two years. She talked and talked about Torchwood, and then retconned him. She was trying to be brought back with the resurrection gauntlet, so she could run away."

"But why? If she could only be resurrected for a couple of minutes." Jack wonders.

"She's a special case. If you resurrect her, then the person who resurrected her would die, and Suzie would get to live." You explain.

"This explains why there were so many pills taken without a record." Ianto frowns. Jack raises an eyebrow at him. "I always write down whenever we use them, and when Suzie was here, there were many missing." He explains.

"Okay, then." Jack stands up. "We need to find Max. Any idea where he lives?"

"Uh…" You wrote it on the transcript. You know you did. "106 Endeavour Terrace, I think."

Jack claps his hands together. "Okay, then. Let's get going." He's the first one to leave his office. You're about to follow him but before that, you turn to Ianto.

"You're spending a lot of time together," you start, trying not to smirk or laugh.

"Yes, uh," Ianto doesn't know what to say, and you can't help but laugh a little.

You walk a little more toward the door. "Are you coming or…?"

"No, I'll—I'll stay here."

"Okay." You walk out, Jack and Owen are already waiting for you.

"Hurry up." Jack says.

"Yeah, we don't want to miss him." Owen adds. You roll your eyes but still hurry. Ianto walks out of Jack's office and finds Tosh. They'll be monitoring you and advising you. You know, usual stuff. You make sure to leave a copy of Max's picture on her desk so she knows who you're facing.

Owen's driving, so he doesn't follow the speed limits and you get there in record time. Owen bangs on the door, yelling, "Max Tresilian! This is Torchwood!"

You facepalm. "Don't say we're Torchwood!" You exclaim, a little louder than you pretended.

Owen frowns, but still doesn't face you. "Why?"

"Because—" You're cut off by the shout of Tosh screaming.

"Lucy, behind you!"

You can't help but yelp a litle as you take out your gun and jump out of Max's way. Jack, who also heard the warning, pushed Max before he could hit Owen—who was still in front of the door—and a couple of seconds later, Max stopped looking hysterical.

"Don't say the T-word." You warn them. "It'll make him go nuts again."

Fortunately, Owen doesn't make a joke and actually says Torchwood. You cuff him and put him in the back of the SUV. Then you drive back to the Hub. You put him in a cell. Owen runs some scans and tests Max, while you and Tosh have a little chat about the whole thing.

Alarms start blaring and the whole lockdown procedure starts.

"What's going on?" Jack calls out as he comes out of his office. To your surprise, Ianto isn't with him. The door closes and locks you inside. "Ianto? Ianto!" Jack starts shouting. Ianto walks out from the kitchen, and into the center of the Hub.

"Jack!" He shouts back, sicne they're a bit far from each other. Jack runs up to him.

"What happened?"

"But I thought you must've done it. We've gone into lockdown." Ianto remarks, confused.

"Then reverse it!"

"It's impossible." Tosh says from her workstation. "It's 100%. The doors are sealed. Everything's gone. Computers, mobile coverage, the lifts, everything... We're sealed in."

"Well, this is unexpected." You mumble sarcastically. You stand up and approach Jack and Ianto. "You still have the transcript, right?"

"You know how the reverse it?" Jack asks you.

"There's a code. I don't know it by heart but if I can find the correct pages then I can reverse it." You explain.

"It's in my office." Jack says and starts walking, Ianto and you following him, but he's faster and in no time you've got the transcript in your hands.

"Perfect." You walk over to Tosh's workstation. "Try this:" you tell her, "0-1-9-8-6-0-0-5-8-5." Tosh types it in, and the Hub goes back to normal.

"You're brilliant." Tosh says. "How did you know what to do?" Before you can answer, Owen comes in shouting.

"What happened?"

"We were locked in." Ianto explains.

"Max was repeating something… A poem." Owen says.

"Let me guess, it was 'I could not stop for death', by Emily Dickinson." You say, a little too loud.

Owen frowns. "I don't know. Do I look like I'm even remotely interested in poetry?"

You look at him, then say, "Nope, you're right. Instead of spending your free time doing productive things, I bet you just shag people you don't know. But hey, everyone has their own ways of spending their time so, no judging here." Tosh chuckles.

Owen's about to reply but Jack intervenes. "Before you continue your little banter, what do you think we should do with Max?"

"You're the boss," Owen says, "you're the one who's got to make the decision."

"What if we put him in a mental hospital?" You propose.

"Not a bad idea. We'll do just that." Jack says, and looks over at Ianto, who sighs, and proceeds to make the call. You shake your head, smiling a bit.

"How much did the lockdown last?" You ask, out of curiosity.

Ianto, who just hung up, takes out his stopwatch. "Uh, about a minute and a half."

Owen rolls his eyes. "Of course. Give Ianto a stopwatch and he's happy."

"Well, he's not the only one." Jack smirks, and you can't help but burst out laughing while Owen's eyes widen and he starts cursing them both.

"My poor, innocent, little mind!" He protests.

"Your mind is hardly innocent, Owen." Ianto remarks, deadpanned.

Owen can't find a reply to that, which makes you laugh even harder. After another hour of fooling around, you decide to call it a day, and head home.


	25. They Keep Killing Suzie: Bonus Chapter

**They Keep Killing Suzie.**

Gwen was always keeping an eye on the investigations Torchwood was involved in. The last one being the murders of Alex Arwyn and Mark and Sara Briscoe. What had called Gwen's attention were the reports of the writing at the Briscoe's. Torchwood, written in blood. Her boss was always complaining that Detective Swanson only talked about them, making them more important and annoying that they already were.

Gwen didn't think they were annoying. She knew they'd saved Cardiff multiple times, and she knew that they genuinely cared about everyone in the city, and they didn't do it just for the fame. Though those who said the contrary were really stupid, or at least Gwen thought so, because why would they do it for the fame but keep their organisation secret? Although they weren't really good with the whole secrecy thing… Maybe they did it on purpose? So people would find out anyway?

Gwen shook her head. She couldn't think like that. Jack and Lucy had been nice to her after all, and she knew it wasn't as if they _wanted_ to be famous. At least it didn't look that way to her.

"Gwen? Gwen!" Andy snapped her out of her thoughts.

"Yes, Andy, what's wrong?" She asked, forcing herself out of her thoughts.

"Are you coming or are you leaving me to deal with the robbery alone?" Andy asked. Gwen forced herself to remember the details. Some group had robbed a little shop and now they were left to deal with the afermath. She hated it, and she knew Andy did too, but she couldn't let him deal with it on his own. She nodded.

"I'm coming."


	26. Random Shoes: Day 1—Bonus Chapter

**Day 1.**

You walk out of the SUV. Even though you love your job, you hate the crime scenes. You're getting used to it, though. It isn't the same as in TV. In real life, everything looks so bloody real, it gets scary. But now, everything's just another crime scene. And even though seeing a corpse doesn't affect you anymore, the smell certainely isn't pleasant.

As soon as your black and beige flats hit the ground, and you turn to close the SUV's door, someone demands your attention.

"Hi, I'm Eugene Jones and, er, I have a keen interest in your work and, er... I've got something to... I'd just like to—I'd just like to show, uh..." You look at him, while closing the door, and you recognize him.

"Okay, just… Stay here, okay? I'll talk to my boss and as soon as we're out of the crime scene, we'll see what you want to show us." You say kindly before turning to join the others.

It's colder outside, so you put on your black and beige blazer and follow the rest of your team. You use the opportunity to tell Jack about Eugene and what he has, but you tell him to pretend he doesn't know what the kid wants to show you.

After you're finished with the crime scene, you walk back to the SUV, and find Eugene still waiting where you told him to. You can't help but smile a little at that

Eugene talks about the eye and then you follow him to his house, because he's got more alien items there. He talks about how he found it, and you convince him to move on, and actually focus on something he likes, because the alien business is very delicate, and you're not sure if he can handle it. Torchwood takes all his alien-related stuff, included the eye, and you manage to get Jack not to retcon him or his family. Then you leave, to focus on the case you were first working on. You can't help but be happy, because you saved Eugene's life, and now he might not get tricked or run over by a car the way he orignally was in the episode.

"Coming?" Jack asks you. You've been standing outside the Jones's door for about a minute, lost in your thoughts.

"Yeah. Coming." You wipe your hands on your beige skinny pants—trousers?—out of habit, and follow them into the SUV, where it's warmer than the oustide, so you take out your blazer, revealing your short-sleeved white T-shirt that reads "Live the way you are".

After the whole case is over and you go back home, it's nice to remember that you've just saved a good guy's life, and you plan on checking up on him at the Hub, just to be sure that he's moved on from the alien business, even if it took a great deal of his youth away from him. You don't want him to have the life everyone at Torchwood as. And, talking about the life of the Torchwood's staff, you can't help but start planning ways to get Tosh and Owen together, since Jack and Ianto are already a couple—not officially, though—and you've got your boyfriend. And, talking about that, you should also make plans with him. And Gwen. God, maybe you do have a social life, one you weren't quite expecting when you first arrived in this universe.

It isn't that bad after all.

* * *

**Random Shoes (Bonus Chapter).**

Eugene sighed as Torchwood drove away with his things. The stuff he'd dedicated his entire life to. And his alien eye was getting away from him. Eugene shook his head. He'd been the one who wanted to give it to them after all. The loss was on him.

They'd told him to go back to something that interested him. But what was that? He'd dedicated his entire life to alien life and now he was being shun out of it. He'd loved maths too, but he'd been shun out of it as well. He had no idea what to do with his life.

He put his hand inside his hands. Maybe there was nothing he could do. Maybe… No. He shook his head. That was the grief talking. He'd try and solve it the next day, too sad to think about anything else. Maybe he could get involved in astronomy. Yeah, he'd like that, he decided. And suddenly, his life had meaning again. He smiled.


	27. Out of Time: Day 1

**Day 1.**

The Rift monitor's alarms start blaring, and you immediately switch into an alert position, even if there's no immediate danger. You just know you'll run out after whatever it is that's coming through the rift.

Tosh gives some coordinates, and sooner than you expected, you're in the SUV with Owen, Ianto and Jack, Tosh staying behind in case you need someone at the comms. She's not much into life-threatening danger anyway. You aren't either, if you think about it rationally while sitting down, drinking a coffee, but when it actually comes to action, you can't help but love the thrill of it, the adrenaline coursing through your veins.

You arrive at the airport, and wait for something to come down. It's not alien, Tosh says, and you start wondering if this is the tenth episode, when people from the twentieth century come to Cardiff. If so, then you're going to keep Diane away from Owen, because the little plan you have about bringing him and Tosh together is going quite well. And also, you hope no one will die this time, but it seem kind of hopeless to think that way. This is Torchwood. Someone will end up hurt one way or another.

That's when you see a plane up in the sky, named Sky Gipsy, number G-AIDL preparing to land.

When they do land, and get out of it, you welcome them with a smile, that almost fades when the man gives you a disapproving look, probably because of your clothing, and you can't help but wish you hadn't worn shorts with black ripped tights underneath. Oh well.

"Apologies for the unplanned touchdown, just hit some rotten turbulence." Diane says.

"I'm Captain Jack Harkness." Jack introduces himself.

"Diane Holmes, pilot. Is this some sort of secret base? You must show me round one day, Captain." She smiles.

"Everything all right?" The man—John Ellis, you remember—asks.

"How long before we head off again? My Uncle's expecting me. " The girl—Emma—asks Diane.

"When did you leave?" Jack asks them.

"About half an hour ago." Diane answers.

"Which date?" Jack earns some strange looks at that question, but he doesn't seem to mind.

"Today, December the 18th." Diane answers, probably thinking Jack's bonkers.

"Which year?" When they don't answer, he repeats, "Which year? Which year? I need to know."

"1953." Diane finally answers.

* * *

Back at the Hub, the newcomers jump when the cogwheel turns, alarms blaring, indicating their arrival.

"There's no need to be frightened." Jack says, having noticed their surprise.

"Who are you exactly?" John asks, being a bit rude. Or maybe you just see it that way because you don't like his character much.

"The least you know about us, the better." Jack enters last, after Diane. Then he stops. "Meet the team."

"Toshiko." Tosh introduces herself.

"Lucy." You say.

"Doctor Owen Harper." Owen says, switching his usual black leather jacket for his white lab coat.

"John Ellis."

"Emma Louise Cowell." Out of all three, you prefered Emma, simply because she was so innocent at first yet she got to adapt so well to this new century. It was good for her. Maybe you can't help her go through this again, without Gwen here, you'll be the only one to help her if John goes all… rude, for the lack of a better word, again.

"Diane Holmes." The pilot introduces herself.

"Please, follow me." Owen tells them, and the newcomers do as they're told.

"I have a feeling a spaceship full of aliens would've been easier." You mumble to Jack.

"Couldn't agree more." He replies.

* * *

Later, you meet up at the conference room. John and Emma are standing near the table, while Diane's against the window that gives a full view of the main room of the Hub.

"But how can you travel fifty years in half an hour?" John asks.

"Your aircraft slipped through a transcendental portal." Jack explains.

"A what?" Emma wonders.

"A door in time and space." Jack simplifies.

"It's some kind of trick, it has to be." John's obviously in denial.

"Tosh?" Jack asks her, meaning it was time to show them the evidence. Jack wasn't stupid, he knew they'd have trouble believing it, John Ellis specially.

"Celebrations of the Millennium in your respective home cities, photographs documenting the development of Cardiff Bay from the '50s to the present day, blueprints of modern day aeroplanes." She shows them pictures and blueprints that are on the conference table. That should be proof enough. And if it wasn't, what about the Hub? That alone should've been a good proof, right?

Emma sits down. It's probably too much to take in, for her. Diane looks alarmed, and to be honest, why wouldn't she be?

"But if all this is true... Then how do we get back?" Diane asks.

"You don't. According to history, your plane never returned. I'm sorry." Jack sounded genuinely sorry.

"What's going to happen to us?" Diane asks the typical question. Then again, it makes sense why people would ask that.

"Never mind about us. What happened to everyone else? Our families." John has another set of priorities sorted, it seems.

You decide to tell Emma about her family, but, like Gwen did, you prefer to do it alone, so you pull her aside and walk around the Hub, just the two of you. "Your father died in 1959. He was 48." You say.

"Dad said he'd die young. All the men in the munitions factory did." Emma said, as if trying to reassure herself, but she still felt sad, and why wouldn't she?

"Your mother lived till she was 81 though." Emma stops and you stop with her. "I know this is hard to take in. Anyone else you want me to look up?" You ask her, even though you know she'll say no. And so she does, only not with words, just shaking her head.

* * *

Later that day, you're showing them to their rooms in a shared house.

"It's a bit basic, but it should be all right." You tell them.

"It's not basic when you've slept in barracks." Diane comments as she shrugs her jacket off. She puts her bag on the lower bunk bed, while Emma puts hers on the single bed near the door.

They start unpacking. But Diane leaves soon, and Emma's the only one left unpacking. She holds up a dress as the main door opens and closes.

"Who else is here?" She asks.

"Oh, just a couple of girls." You wave it off. "Nice dress."

"Thank you. I made it myself." She looks proud.

"Where are you from?"

"Bristol."

"Why were you going to Dublin?" You ask her.

"Auntie Nora's ill and Uncle Finn can't manage the children. It will be good practice for when I have children of my own, Mum says." She takes out a teddy bear and hugs it. "She's gone next door so Uncle Finn can telephone... She'll know I'm missing by now."

"Technically, she found out over fifty years ago." You say, trying to help but it doesn't have the desired effect. Emma sits down on her bed, sad.

"What will she think happened?" You sit down on the bed besides her, but don't answer. "It must have been like one of those murders where they never find the body."

"I'd say it was probably like when those planes crashed onto the sea." You correct her. "Not a murder, but an accident." And that's what it was, wasn't it? Just an accident.

Emma bursts into tears, and you put a comforting arm around her. After staying around for a while and making sure she got settled, you go back to the Hub and ask Tosh if she can take care of Diane instead of Owen. Tosh nods, saying she won't mind, and that's a good thing. Then, when it's about seven thirty, you all go home. Christmas is coming, and Gareth's invited you to a small party at his flat, with you two, Caren and Arthur. Tosh was invited as well, but apparently, Owen had already asked her out for a date, and you wonder if you could invite Emma instead. You decide to ask Gareth tomorrow, and decide to call it an early night, since you slept badly last night, and need to get some sleep.

But even then, you can't fall asleep, so you end up finishing a book you were reading, started another, which was so sad that as soon as you finished it you cried yourself to sleep. Being so invested in fictional characters was never a good idea, you decide, but what's done is done. Those are your last thoughts before you drift into unconsciousness.


	28. Out of Time: Day 2

**Day 2.**

Next day you dress a bit more lazily, less revealing—though it's not like you were wearing something too revealing yesterday but hey, if that helps the three newcomers, then it's not much of a sacrifice—and only take a coffee before heading to work, despite the fact that you know Ianto will serve you coffee as soon as you get there.

And that's how it happens. At, about, nine thirty, Diane, John and Emma arrive. Jack proceeds to tell them what Torchwood's thought of, and while you hand them their new IDs, he explains everything. "These will be your means of identification. We've set up bank accounts for you but we'll give you an allowance so you can practice with the currency and money management."

"David Ward." John reads out loud.

"Sally-Anne Hope." Diane imitates him.

"Deborah Morrison, and it's spelt how Deborah Kerr spells it." Emma actually smiles a little.

"Your background stories should incorporate your skills you already have. John, you could have run a corner shop." Jack proposes.

"No." John refuses immediately.

"We can fake references." He continues.

"You can't take away our names. For God's sake, it's all we've got left. It's my son's name, it's the name above my shop." John furiously throws the ID on the desk. You understand why, but it kind of annoys you that he's acting that way. Still, you don't show it.

Jack takes a deep breath. "You're right. I didn't think. You should keep your name."

* * *

Later, you and Ianto take them to grocery shopping.

"I'd suggest you use £25 for your food and then £20 for luxuries like cigarettes, magazines." Ianto proposes.

"My dad only made £10 a week!" Emma exclaims.

"Yeah, well, things are a lot more expensive now." You comment.

Diane walks toward the door and it opens automatically. She stops, startled.

"How did it do that?" She asks.

"It's automatic. It knows you're there." Ianto explains.

"But how?"

"There are wave bouncing detectors which emit radio waves and then look for reflections—" He's interrupted by Diane's exciting exclamation.

"Bananas!" She runs over to where the bananas are.

"Of course, bananas are far more interesting." Ianto finishes and you can't help but chuckle at that.

"Don't worry. Your time for techno babble will come." You say before you head in, along with John and Emma. Diane's smiling at the bananas. And John looks rather impressed.

"Look at all this! We'd just come off rationing in '53." He exclaims.

"Yes, sorry, we are a consumer society." Ianto says.

"We live in a greedy little world." You quote a song.

"It's bloody fantastic!" John looks happy about it.

You follow them around the store. Emma stops at the candy aisle. "How much food money have I got left?" She asks Ianto.

"£15.40." Ianto answers.

Emma doesn't hesitate. She grabs various candy bars, throws them into her basket, and walks down the aisle, grabbing more and more candy. You and Ianto follow her.

"£12.10. You'll ruin your teeth." Ianto comments.

"You sound like my mum." Emma says, rolling her eyes.

"Sometimes he acts like one too." When Ianto looks over at you, you add, "Hey, just kidding." He raises an eyebrow, clearly stating he does not believe you, but that's all before you start moving again.

You find Diane looking at DVD disks. You and Emma approach her.

"They sell films in boxes and you can watch them at home." She shows it to Emma who as excited as her.

"I love going to the pictures!" Emma exclaims. She looks at one of the movies. She picks up one she seems excited at, and you realize it's a musical.

"You're into musicals, then?" You ask her.

Emma nods. "My best friend, Kate, and I saw Calamity Jane five times. I've got the LP."

"Excluding the three High School Musical movies, I've only watched one musical."

"What's High School Musical?" Emma asks you.

You hesitate. "Not a real musical. Let's leave it at that."

* * *

Ianto also notices Emma liking musicals. And then he goes to check on John, who's packing his things. Then Diane arrives, looking worried because her pack of cigarettes say "Smoking kills." You realize they're far too different from each other. If Diana stays, you know she'll like it here. Women have got more equalty than they did back then, even if there still are some sexist guys around the world, but they're a minority. At least you hope so. Emma'll do well, and you know that.

When you're about to drop everyone off, John asks to take a look at the stadium. You hesitate, because you know that's not what he's really going to do.

"Maybe we should ask Jack first." You say.

Ianto gives you a strange look. Clearly he knows you're not always too keen to follow Jack's orders. But still, he can't deny it's a good idea. "Maybe."

John's about to reply to that, so before he can, you say to him, "Look, Jack's just a phone call away. If he says it's all right, then you can go." You pick up your phone and dial his number before John can protest.

"Yeah?" Jack asks.

"Uh, John wants to visit the stadium, is that all right?" You ask him.

"Of course." Jack replies. The _is it really that important that you have to call me to know if I agree_ goes unsaid.

You resist the urge to roll your eyes. "You sure?" The _it's not a good idea_ also goes unsaid, but if Jack notices it, he doesn't mention it.

"Why wouldn't it be?"

You sigh. "Never mind. Bye." You hang up. "You can go." Ianto stops the car.

"You say women are equal now, but you still need a man's permission instead of making decisions for yourself." John mumbles under his breath, but you still hear him. Everyone in the car does, apparently, since Ianto glances at him through the rearview mirror, not a friendly glance, and Diane and Emma look startled—Diane more annoyed than startled though. You turn to look at him.

"We are equal but that doesn't mean everyone likes it or respects it. And I don't need a man's permission, I need Jack's permission because he's my bloody boss and, I'm the bloody newbie, and if I want to keep my job, I have to do what Jack says even if I don't like it and most of the time it all goes to hell—I'm not being literal… yet—but what can you do, it's Torchwood, I'm pretty sure nothing ever goes as planned. Now if you want to go and look for your son, go ahead before I change my mind and actually start 'making decisions' for myself." You reply angrily. You don' even realize the mistake you've made until the words are out of your mouth, but you don't take it back. John stares at you before walking out the car and slamming the door behind him.

As soon as Ianto starts the car, Diane nods, very approving of what you just said. "Nicely phrased." She compliments you.

You've turned back to look at the road by then. "Thank you." You reply.

You drop the girls home and then head back to the Hub. Jack isn't there. Tosh either—she's probably going to spend her time with Diane, since you asked her to. Only Owen's there and he's busy doing an autopsy to a weevil. So instead, you head to the kitchen, see if there's something to eat or drink. And while you drink a glass of Coke, you wonder if your loathing for John comes from the episode or that fanfic you read a while ago which was really infuriating. You decide that probably both.

You notice Ianto coming in and making coffee, and then you also realize he's talking to you. "What did John do to piss you off so much? It wasn't the comment, was it?"

"Nah. Just a bunch of things he hasn't done yet… Or maybe won't." Because he's probably not going to throw the whole I'm-surrounded-by-queers fit you read in a fanfic once. At least you hope he won't because if he does, you're seriously going to punch him. "Out of all three, he's certaintly the one I dislike the most… Not that I dislike Emma and Diane, mind you. They're really nice." You add. You feel the need the change the subject, so you do and take advantage of this to tease Ianto. "Anyway, what have you been doing lately? Other than Jack."

Ianto blushes slightly, and you wouldn't have noticed if you hadn't turned your full attention to him and was actually looking for details like that. "Is it that obvious?"

"Nah, I'm just too smart." You say, then add, "And I knew it was going to happen sooner or later." Ianto's about to reply when you phone rings. "Oh, sorry." You smile apologetically at him, and check the screen. It's Emma. "Bollocks." You curse, because you know she wouldn't call you unless it was an emergency. "It's Emma." You tell Ianto. "5 quid it's because of John."

"I don't think it would be smart to make a bet with you." Ianto replies. You can't help but chuckle at that.

"You're learning." You bring the phone to your ear. "Emma?"

Before she even starts to speak, you know she's crying, or at least trying not to. "It's John. He… I didn't…" She can't complete her sentences, probably because she doesn't know how to phrase it.

"I'll be there as soon as I can." You hang up, then turn to Ianto. "It was smart of you not to, or I'd have won 5 quid right now."

He nods. "Good luck." He tells you.

"Thanks." You reply before heading off.

* * *

"I don't see why she got you involved." John grumbles.

"And I don't see why not." You reply.

John's setting the table for dinner—supper, same bloody thing. "She was drinking."

"I only had half a glass." Emma protests.

"Enough to make a show of yourself." He sets two plates on the table. "We're not meant to draw attention to ourselves. We're not the same as them. We can't trust anyone."

"How can you live that way? Not ever trusting anyone. That's no way of living. And everyone drinks nowadays, and I bet she wasn't even making a show of herself that much. What were you doing?" You ask Emma, gently.

"I was singing. And I started dancing." She says.

"How is that scandalous? If anything, it's so bloody proper, I'm the scandalous one. You should see me with my friends back at home, seriously. There's nothing wrong with having fun." You roll your eyes. "Will you be all right?" You ask her, even though you know she probably won't.

Apparently, John decided to ignore your whole speech, concentrating only on the part that _wasn't_ meant for him. "Don't worry, I won't let her out of my sight again." He's sitting at the head of the table, and you have to resist the urge to roll your eyes at him.

"I don't like liver." Emma points out. To be honest? You don't either.

"Sit down, young lady, and be grateful for what you're given." He says harshly.

Before Emma can have a breakdown like she did in the original episode, you step in. "Jesus Christ, you're not the only one who's out of your time! Emma's just trying to adapt, trying to make new friends, trying to move on. Just because you're still stuck in the past—there's nothing wrong with that, mind you—doesn't mean you can stop the others from trying. And from where I'm standing, it's not like you're being grateful for what you're given either!"

John glares at you. "What would you know about being out your time?"

That's it. You can't handle anymore from that guy. You were trying to be nice before but this is really shitty. "Out of my time? Not much. But I was literally ripped out from another universe. I miss my family, I miss my friends, I miss my old life every fucking day, but I tried to adjust as soon as I got here, and not just because of the weevil that was trying to fucking eat me at the time. And I didn't come from 2006 either, you know? I come from bloody 2013 from a parallel universe so I've got to be careful with what I say. What if something that was fictional back there is true in this universe? But I still didn't let that stop me from adjusting and actually get to trust people." Then, you turn to Emma. "I didn't want it to come to this, but if you want you can stay at my appartment for as long as you want. Liver-free dinner—supper—every day since I don't like liver either."

Emma's eyes widen, surprised at the offer. "Are you sure?" John looks like he's about to protest, but you don't let him speak.

"Totally. And if you decide to stay here, you can ring me any time. I'm usually alone, reading, so, yeah." You know that's not true but it's the only way to make Emma call you at even 3 in the morning without feeling bad.

"I—I'd like to come with you, if you don't mind." She decides.

"It's settled." You clap your hands together.

"Hold on a minute. You can't go off like that, young lady." John protests.

"Why not?" You shrug. "Go get your stuff, Emma." She does as you ask.

* * *

Ten minutes later, you're back at your appartment. Emma doesn't know what she wants to eat and you don't know what to make, though you're glad you went to the grocery store a couple of days ago.

"No idea? You sure?" Emma nods. "Well… Oh!" You snap your fingers. "I know! What about tacos? Have you ever tasted tacos?" You ask her. Emma shakes her head. "That's what we're eating then."

So, you cook, while Emma settles—you've put a matress on the floor, next to your bed, so she won't have to sleep on the couch. It's not an actual bed, but you figured it would be better than the couch. You eat while watching one of Emma's recently bought musicals, laugh and just have fun, basically, until you go to sleep.


	29. Out of Time: Day 3

**Day 3.**

It's Christmas Eve and the day consists of, mostly, asking Gareth if you can bring Emma to the party, helping out with the food, the décor and stuff—it's going to be in Gareth's appartment—and then, before you know it, it's almost 7, and time to get ready for the party. You've told Emma about how sex is viewed nowadays, so she can be careful if afterwards you decide to go to a club or something. Then you get ready.

You put on a black on shoulder chiffon dress, studded flats, feather cross chain drop earrings, a large onyx and diamonds necklace, and your watch. Then you go to the living room and wait for Emma to come out. She's wearing a beautiful turquoise dress, with a simple necklace and she's tied her hair in a ponytail.

"Love the dress." You smile at her.

"Thank you." Emma answers, shyly.

"Ready to go, then?" She nods and you exit your appartment, just to knock on the one next door. You ring the doorbell, and Gareth opens. He's wearing a light blue shirt, that matches his eyes, and black pants—trousers, God, this language thingy is annoying—and you have to admit he looks handsome tonight. You can't help but smile at him. He lets you in.

Arthur and Caren are already in. You haven't seen them in about a week, because the Rift hasn't been quiet these past few days, and when it had, you had to take care of the three newcomers from 1953. Not that you'd tell that to your friends. Mostly, you just told them you were needed a lot at work, and you couldn't spare time for them, because you always got home exhausted, which was entirely true.

Emma knows Torchwood and real life are different. She knows she can't mention where you work, what do you do, and all, mostly because she knows very few details herself.

It's a nice night. Dinning, smiling, joking around. You make everything in your power for Emma not to feel so left out, and Arthur even flirts a bit with her, but it's nothing serious. Well, that and he's not much of a flirt, so whenever he tries, you can't help but chuckle a bit. You've come to consider Arthur and Caren family by this point, and, to be honest, you wouldn't have it any other way. You're starting to feel like Emma's also part of this weird family you've got, and you're glad, because that's what she needs now. A good friend, someone that could easily become a family member for her, even if there's no blood relation.

At some point, the conversation turns to jobs and stuff, and once again, you repeat your typical special ops routine and move on. Emma reveals she's still looking for a job. At that, Caren's face lights up.

"Oh, oh, I know! If you're interested in fashion, the shop my friend Pam works for is opening a new branch in London. They're looking for employees. Maybe you could try it out? The interviews are tomorrow, and I bet they'll offer you a job on the spot." Caren and her optimism never fails to pass on everybody else. You can't help but smile at that, and Emma's face lights up as well.

"That's fantastic!" She exclaims. "Thank you so much!"

Then, it all goes into different ways, you split into different conversations. First with Gareth, then you're having a conversation with both Caren and Emma, then it's all about Arthur telling you an anecdote about something that happened to him in the past few days and you can't help but laugh at the story.

It ends rather too soon, but Emma has the interview tomorrow and Caren and Arthur both have to work. Gareth's off duty, and, Rift-permitting, you are as well, so you decide to do meet up for lunch, and maybe watch a movie later. Then you say goodbye and walk back to your flat—wow, that's new, a British word coming out of your mouth without you thinking about it first—and prepare yourself to go to bed. Emma's rather happy, and you notice she enjoyed herself so much at dinner, and you can't help but smile at that, because even if you know she _will_ get the job on the spot and she'll have to move to London and you'll miss her a lot, she's having a great time adjusting to this new world, and you wouldn't take any opportunity away from her. Of course, you still plan on keeping contact, and speaking whenever you can, but she'll be fine, and that's what matters.


	30. Out of Time: Day 4

**Day 4.**

You're watching a movie with Gareth when Emma comes in. You give Gareth an apologetic look, pausing the movie, and glancing up at Emma.

"So? How did it go?" You ask her, excited.

"This coat I'm wearing is their latest fashion, '50s inspired. They offered me a job on the spot!" Emma replies, obviously as excited.

You can't help but squeal at that. You run up to Emma and hug her. "That's brilliant! You definitely deserve it!"

"Thank you. I've always dreamt about working in a London fashion house." Emma says, dreamily. "They open the day after Boxing Day. I'll be a shop girl and a trainee buyer. I can house share. They've given me numbers."

"That's great! So, when are you leaving?" You ask her.

"The bus leaves tomorrow." Emma replies. You're a bit disappointed but since you knew this was going to happen, you mask your disappointment perfectly and instead smile at her.

"Want something to drink?" You ask her, since you and Gareth already have drinks set on the coffee table.

"Oh, I don't want to disturb you." Emma replies.

You turn to Gareth, raising an eybrow. "I don't mind if you don't mind."

Gareth considers it. "Oh, I don't mind. It's your last day in Cardiff after all, you should have some fun."

You serve Emma something to drink and you both sit on the couch, you next to Gareth.

* * *

Later that night, you find out you've left your external hardrive at the Hub, which is a seriously stupid move, so you tell Emma before you head off, grabbing your military jacket on the way.

When you get at the Hub, everything's silent. It's a bit strange, though, until you remember John Ellis is probably comitting suicide at this very moment. Well, shit.

Instead, though, you hear two voices. Arguing, near the archives. The sound of the cogwheel opening doesn't reach them there, not even the alarms. Your external hardrive is on your desk, completely visible, but instead you can't help but move to the archives, just to spy on that conversation. And you find out that it's Jack and Ianto who are arguing. You wince at that. They wouldn't argue for nothing, which means John already killed himself and Ianto found out and—_Oh!_

"I understand that he wanted to die and you let him, Jack." Ianto says. "But I don't understand why did you have to die with him."

The fact that they're already a couple still amazes you, and it's the reason why you're always excited to go to work. Because you're probably the only one who's noticed the longing looks Jack gives Ianto when he's not looking, or the way they touch each other every time they can, like when Ianto hands him his mug of coffee, and they remain with their hands together a split second too long, those kind of little things, and it takes all your self-control to get you not to squeal every time you watch them interact.

But this is different. Ianto's upset, because Jack died, and apparently Jack doesn't understand why it upsets Ianto so much if he knows he's going to come back. Bloody Jack Harkness.

"I already told you," Jack starts to explain, "nobody should have to die alone."

You have to agree with that. You're used to Jack dying and coming back, but you know Ianto will never be, because he knows—and you do too, but it doesn't affect you as much—how painful it is for Jack every time he comes back to life. He's said so himself. It's like being "hauled over broken glass", and that must hurt a great deal if he comes back gasping every time and it takes time for him to focus on what's happening.

From where you are, you can see Ianto shake his head. "Never mind."

You're about to walk away, grab your hardrive and leave the Hub before they realize you're spying on them, but Jack grabs Ianto's wrist—gently, you remark—and stops him from walking away.

"Why are you so upset?" Jack asks Ianto. _Honestly, could you be more bloody oblivious?_ You roll your eyes at him.

"Because you died, Jack." Ianto reminds him.

"I die all the time. I always come back." Jack replies.

"Jack…" Ianto's considering his next words. You suddenly realize that it would be very awkward right now if you phone started to ring. You're lucky it doesn't. "I know you come back, but that doesn't justify you dying." Ianto finally answers. You watch as Jack pulls Ianto close, into a hug.

"Oh, Ianto…" You can barely hear him, but the scene still brings tears to your eyes, and when Jack grabs Ianto's face delicately and kisses him, a tear rolls down your cheek. You wipe it away, but the tears don't go away, though they don't fall either and you're grateful for that. They're such a lovely couple and you remember why you wanted to join _this_ Torchwood in the first place. To save Owen and Tosh, and Ianto, so Jack and Ianto can spend even more time together and Owen and Tosh… Well.

You walk away quickly before they notice you and walk back to the main room of the Hub, grab your hardrive and leave, still thinking about the beautiful Janto moment you just witnessed, and how this technically counts as their first argument.


	31. Out of Time: Day 5—Bonus Chapter

**Day 5.**

Next day, you drop Emma off at the bus station.

"And remember, any problem you have, you can call me at any time. Or if you just want to talk, I'm here too." You smile at her. "Good luck."

"Thank you." Emma smiles back. "You were right, this place can be wonderful."

"Yep." You nod. "Now you better don't miss your bus." You joke. "And I hope we'll see each other, yeah? Maybe New Year's Eve or something?"

"That would be great." Emma smiles, then glances at the bus. "London, I'm going to London!" She exclaims, all excited.

"I know!" You reply, in the same tone. "Bye, Emma." You hug her.

"Goodbye, Lucy." She returns your hug, then walks toward the bus and you lose sight of her when she enters. You stay and watch it leave, then you make your way back to your flat. As long as the Rift's quiet, you don't think no one will bother you today, and, to be honest, you'd like to watch your favourite movie that, you discovered, does not exist in this universe. So you walk home, and spend your day doing nothing, watching TV, reading books and stuff, and even though you're extremely sad because Emma left, you're also happy for her and the new life she's building for herself.

**Out of Time (Bonus Chapter).**

Tosh didn't want Diane to spend Christmas alone. But Diane had insisted, and the couple soon were off, and Diane was left alone with her thoughts. Of all three of the travellers, she was the one who showed more personality and certainty. She was the one who everyone thought would be able to adapt in this world, which wasn't perfect, but definitely better than it was in 1953.

But Diane hated it. She couldn't fly, she couldn't do anything she did in her old life. She hated this new world, even though Torchwood had been nice with her. She was grateful, she really was, but spending most of her days doing nothing wasn't exactly her idea of fun. She sighed, then looked up at the sky. Remembered how she'd flied when she still could, and how she'd cherished every minute of it. And suddenly, she knew what to do.

She found some paper and a pen, and left a note for Toshiko, telling her not to worry, that she'd be okay, and she was grateful for all they did for her, and left. She took out her beloved Sky Gipsy, and took off.

_I could end up anywhere_, she thought, but she didn't see it as a bad thing. No, not at all. _That's the beauty of it._


	32. Combat: Day 1

**A/N: Hii, thanks for all the reviews! I'm really grateful, they always make my day! And, well, I'm here to answer a few of them—I always forget to add A/Ns before I post more chapters. So, here we go:**

**First, I want to thank scarlet phlame because she's bothered to review my chapters so many times, so thankyouthankyouthankyou.**

**Wall With A Fez:**** As much as I'd love to tell you I'm really going to save them, my brain can be evil (no, seriously, I scare myself a lot thinking of death scenarios) so, I hope I will let Lucy save them too!**

**MxM:**** Thank you, I'm glad you like it! I was actually planning on doing a Sherlock one, but I've already got three stories which I haven't finished, and the only reason I keep updating Torchwood every day is because I'm all ready halfway through season 2. So, as soon as I finish one of my stories, I'll start working on it, but I prefer to have written a great deal of chapters in advance before posting so it might take a while.**

**And finally, I also want to thank all those who've followed and favourited (is that even a verb?) this story, it means so much to me, thankyouthankyouthankyou.**

**Sorry for the long A/N, now, on with the story!**

**Day 1.**

It's a quiet night. You walk out of the movies—the cinema, whatever—with Gareth. You're holding hands, talking about the movie you've just seen. It was fun, you think, and you definitely enjoyed it, but you have a bad feeling. You just hope nothing will ruin the night.

Suddenly, a weevil runs by, Jack right behind it. Suddenly, he stops, and turns to you two. His eyes scan you, and focus on your intertwined hands for a split second before his eyes dart back to your face.

"Lucy!" He exclaims.

_Oh God,_ you think, _what now?_

"What was that?" Gareth finally asks about the weevil. Before you can explain, Jack approaches you.

"Gareth, isn't it?" He asks. It's weird because you've only mentioned Gareth to Tosh, the others just know you have a boyfriend. Maybe Tosh told him or something. Then you realize Jack's shirt is bloody and torn and you realize the reason that happened is because he's chasing a weevil on his own. "Sorry, it's an  
emergency, I'll have her back in a couple of minutes." Jack smiles before turning to you. "Come on." He hurries you. You give Gareth an apologetic look before letting go of his hand and you walk after Jack.

"Hey, hold on! That's my girlfriend." Gareth protests. You and Jack stop, turning around to face him.

"Gareth, this is Jack, my boss." You give him a pleading look. "I'll explain later, okay?"

You realize Jack's been walking again, almost running, when you hear him shout, "Come on, Lucy. Let's go."

You glance at him, then back at Gareth. "I'm so, so sorry. I'll make it up to you!" You promise. Then you run after Jack. You can hear Gareth sigh as you run away, and you feel incredibly guilty, but you know you have to help Jack.

You run, and run, until you stop at a corner, and you use that chance to recover.

"Sorry for cutting in, but I've been having a little trouble with this one." Jack apologizes.

"It's fine. Just try not to make it a routine, would ya?" You ask him. "And how did you know his name? Tosh?"

Jack hestiates before answering. "Yeah. Tosh." His tone makes you think that maybe it wasn't Tosh who told him after all.

Jack checks something on his vortex manipulator, then he starts running. "Three hundred meters on the right, car park!" He shouts at you. You follow him.

You get to the third floor of a parking lot. Jack checks his vortex manipulator to get some weevil readings while you look around, and find it.

"Jack! Over there!" You start running toward the weevil, and Jack immediately catches up with you.

Suddenly, a white van stops, its tires—or tyres—screeching, and three men dressed in black burst out of the van, catching the weevil, who'd been running. They've got cattle prods.

"Get him in, get him in!" Someone says. As they get the weevil in, you approach them. "They're fucking mad!"

"Hey!" Jack protests. One of the men stops and looks at you two, nods at you and then jumps back into the van, that takes off speeding through the garage as you try to catch it, with no success.

Jack, panting, exclaims, "Who the hell were they?!"

You too are panting. You're leaning forward, hands on your knees, trying to catch your breath. "I remember this." You look up at him. "You're not going to like it."

* * *

You go back to the Hub, Jack incredibly furious. You haven't told him anything, mainly because you don't remember the details, since you're already on the fifth transcript from season 2, and you never liked this episode to begin with. All you know is that Owen might get himself in trouble, but you're not sure so you don't even tell Jack about it.

"One—since when did other people know about Weevils? Two—have they done this before and if so why didn't we know about it? Three—what do they want with them anyway?" You're about to answer but Ianto and Tosh are there. You don't mind telling him in front of Ianto, but Tosh still doesn't know about you.

Instead, you shake your head. "Nothing pretty, I bet."

"Might not be connected, but we've noticed a surge of unusual injuries being reported at the A&E unit." Ianto informs.

You try to remember as much as you can from the ep. "Actually, I think it might be connected." You say. Then, because of Tosh, you add, "I mean, there's no such thing as coincidences, right?"

"Chunks taken out of legs and arms, deep wounds to backs and stomachs. So we have a wave of Weevil attacks to add to our problems." Jack reads, then he moves to seat on the edge of his desk. "And by the way, that spray we've used on them previously? They're becoming immune to it."

"I don't see why that surprises you." You comment. "It's the same with antibiotics." Jack picks up the phone to make a call as he gives you a weird look.

"They're mutating?" Tosh thinks out loud.

"Or evolving." Ianto, the optimist, adds.

"Are you always this optimist?" You raise an eyebrow at him.

"Only on days that end with 'y'." He answers and you roll your eyes at him.

"So any sign of the one we lost earlier?" Jack asks, as he marks a number.

"I've run a trace on the van's number plate... It's fake. Two and a half thousand vans of that type registered in the Cardiff area. Widen that to a forty mile radius and the number doubles." Toshiko informs him.

"So, run a trace on the vehicle." Jack orders.

"Route via traffic cameras?" Tosh asks.

You can all hear Owen's voicemail at the other end of the line. "This is Owen's voicemail, leave a message if you must."

"Processing now." Tosh says.

You walk away from them to make a phone call. Gareth doesn't answer, which is unusal. You take a deep breath. You've got to leave a voicemail. It's the only thing you can do. "Look, Gareth. I'm so, so sorry. I swear I didn't know we'd have an emergency on my night off… But this is more complicated than we thought. I was thinking, as soon as I'm off, if you're not busy, maybe… I don't know. We could meet up? Have lunch—or dinner… I'm sorry, I don't know when I'll be available. Those are the downsides to working with the special ops, I suppose." You try to joke about, and even crack a smile, but it's not a complete sincere one. "Anyway, if you're interested… Just… Call me." You hang up, close your eyes, and sigh. When did this get so complicated? You know you're approaching the end of season 1 and it's all going to Hell—you're not being literal yet—but still, as much as you love Torchwood, you wish you could get to spend more time with Gareth.

Then you go back to the others.

"No sign of Owen?" You ask him.

"He's been even more erratic than usual since…" Tosh trails off.

"Since what?" You ask. You hope Owen's stayed clear of Diane. Otherwise, your plan of getting Owen and Tosh together is going down.

"Well, I don't know. He was fine a couple of weeks ago, then suddenly he starts acting more… You know." Tosh improvises. The thing is, you don't know.

"Why?" You wonder.

"No idea." Tosh shakes her head. "And it's none of our business."

You stay quiet for a few seconds. "You're right." You shake your head. "None of our business."

* * *

About ten minutes later, you and Jack are standing, looking at the computer screen on Tosh's workstation as she types in some stuff.

"I've tracked the van's route. It went straight from the car park out to the docks." She says. "This was two hours ago." She shows the footage, that suddenly goes static.

"What happened?" Jack asks.

"The CCTV cameras went down." Tosh replies.

"Yeah. A unicorn ran over it." You joke.

"I think these guys really don't like to be watched." Tosh ignores you.

"See, and I know it's a character flaw... That makes me all the more determined to find out what it is they're hiding."

"It can't be anything good." You go back to being serious.


	33. Combat: Day 2

**A/N: Yep, here I am, answering reviews again in an A/N. So, here we go:**

**scarlet phlame, I'm glad your enjoying this story! Honestly, it means a lot. I'm still not sure about what I'm going to do in COE, but I certainly plan on changing a few things (like the Hub exploding). I'm still not sure about what Lucy is going to do, if she's going to exchange places with Ianto or if she's going to sneak in and give the Prime Minister, John Frobisher, the guy from UNIT and pretty much everybody else who was in that meeting a good piece of her mind... Or both. So that's sort of going to be a surprise not only for the readers but for me too, I guess. While I also prefer Tosh and Owen to Esther and Rex, I really liked Esther. She reminded me of Tosh, in a way. I definitely disliked Rex, though, so it bothered me a lot when Esther died and Rex became immortal. Anyway, thanks again for reviewing, I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

**MxM****, thank you! And yes, at least the Sherlock one is on the list. I've even got a name for the character and everything. I'm planning on doing more of these for all my favourite shows, but it'll take a while, and I really want to finish these stories. And yes, this episode was really sad. I've always liked Owen, even if he wasn't exactly the nicest person in the world, and I felt really bad for him when Diane left him and he had to go through all that crap after... Anyway, on with the story, I hope you like this chapter!**

**Dopekittyfacebook-com, thank you, I'm glad you like it! I hope you like this chapter as well as the rest of the story!**

**Day 2.**

Hours later, it's daytime, and you're still trapped at the Hub, working only on coffee. If you ever thought that not sleeping for one night before was hell, now this is totally normal for you, and it kinda concerns you, but you push your concerns away, because you've got more important things to do.

When Owen finally comes in, you're reading about the man who was found dead on the warehouse by Jack and Tosh. "Dan Hodges, date of birth, 21st of January 1979. Salesman for web publishing software. Married with a kid." You read out loud.

Owen approaches his medical bay to start the autopsy. He holds up the man's hand, the one with a wedding ring on it. "Yeah, no shit, Sherlock. Right, definitely death by Weevil, but he took a right kicking before the throat was punctured. Weevils go for the kill, straight for the jugular. Look at his face—black eye, bruises to the cheekbones. Same across the back and the ribs." He says.

"Could he have been tortured?" Tosh asks him.

"Maybe. But I reckon these wounds were inflicted by humans. But why smack somebody about and then set the Weevil on them? Why not get the Weevil do all the work for you?" He wonders. You have to admit he's got a point. You don't remember well about what happened to him. You only know it's some sort of Weevil Fight Club, but you haven't had the chance to tell Jack yet.

At that same moment, Ianto joins you, and immediately catches Jack's attention. "Any joy with the phone records?" Jack asks him.

"The last incoming number was blocked. The phone's call history has been erased." He informs.

"God, they move fast." Tosh remarks.

"I don't think God has anything to do with that." You pause. "If he exists in this universe." Everyone turns to look at you. "What? There are millions of universes, why can't God exist in one of them?" No one answers your question.

"Anyway, I think these guys are using Weevils to carry out the perfect murder. No fingerprints, no traces of recognizable DNA, ... a quick, guaranteed death. Nothing to connect anyone to the murder." Jack changes the subject.

"Right. Should be a piece of piss to find the killer, then." Owen comments.

You frown. "I wouldn't be so sure. I mean, I don't think the weevils are used to carry ou the perfect murder…" You trail off.

"Okay, what do you think, then?" Jack asks you.

"Uh, weirdest but sort-of-realistic case scenario? Some sort of Weevil Fight Club." You answer honestly.

Owen snorts. "Who the hell would volunteer to fight a weevil?"

"Maybe that explains the wounds you said were inflicted by humans." You point out.

Owen nods reluctantely. "Touché."

You smirk. "Anyway, if it _is_ a Weevil Fight Club, we'd have to figure out who runs it, and where it is."

"You think you can do that?"Jack asks you. So, he believes you. Good.

"Memory's a bit wobbly." You admit. Tosh and Owen don't know why you say that but you quickly cover it. "I'll do what I can."

Jack nods. "Perfect."

"But someone should tell his wife about him." You add. "Since I'm busy, I suggest Owen and Tosh go." You say as innocently as you can.

Tosh shrugs. "I don't mind."

Owen stares at you for a moment. "We'll go as soon as I'm finished then." He finally agrees.

* * *

Tosh and Owen come back, and you look up from your computer. You haven't found a single thing, and your eyes hurt from staring at the computer so much.

"I have an idea. I mean, the van went with the Weevil straight to the warehouse, right? They must've known it was empty. Either they own it or had previous contact with the estate agents." You say.

"So?" Owen asks.

Jack already starts forming a plan. "I see! Owen Harper, you're going into property. Ianto, can you fix him a cover story?" He asks Ianto, who nods and starts working on the story.

"Hang on, why me?" Owen protests.

"Lucy and I were in the car park, Toshiko was in the warehouse. If they've got access to CCTV, they'll recognize us." Jack points out. "We have to get under their guard, find out what's going on."

"Yeah, all right. I could do with being someone else right now." Owen agrees. Tosh gives him a worried look, and you raise an eyebrow at the comment.

* * *

As soon as Owen leaves, you pull Tosh away from the others. "What was that?" You ask, obviously meaning Owen.

Tosh hesitates. "I spoke to him when we were out… I promised I wouldn't say anything. Sorry." She apologizes.

"But you know what's going on?" You ask her. She nods. "All right, then. I won't push." You sort-of smile and walk away, working hard on not grinning or squealing of happiness. If Owen told Tosh what was wrong, that means Towen is growing! You could jump because of the sudden happiness that hits you like a wave, but instead, you force yourself to remember the horrible things that happen in Torchwood to stop feeling so happy. This is a really serious case, and if something's wrong with Owen, then he probably _will_ get in that cage with the weevil unless you stop it.

* * *

As soon as the monitor starts to react, she looks excited. "We're in! This'll give us everything on his hard drive, including encrypted files." Her little shout of happiness has caught the team's attention, and soon you're all surrounding her. "If I can establish a routing protocol, whatever he does on this computer from now on, we'll know about it." Then she says into her comm. "Owen, you're clear."

Only Tosh can hear what Owen and the man are saying.

"He's lying. According to their records, it only went on the market last week." Tosh says into her comm again. Since this is boring you do death, you decide to go over to the kitchen to get another coffee. This is going to be a long day.

* * *

You've lost yourself in a book when you hear Tosh's phone ring. She picks up, presents herself as Jenny Long, and hangs up. She smiles smugly, turns to you, since she's noticed you looking up, and says, "Job done."

"I've found another set of suspicious injuries at the hospital. They sound pretty bad." Ianto comes in and informs. As soon as he says so, Jack heads for the door.

"Tosh, stay here and monitor Mark Lynch's movements. Ianto with me." He orders. "Lucy… Go home."

"What?" You're a bit surprised.

"Go home." He repeats. You know why he says that. You're about to protest, but think better of it, and sigh.

"Fine." He looks glad you didn't push him to stay or go with him. You pick up your military jacket as you walk out. "Later."

* * *

You're bored out of your mind at home. You can't focus on anything. Not watching TV or a show or a movie on your computer for that matter. You can't write, you're too lazy to work on the transcript and you can't focus on anything you try to read. And sulking on the bed or the couch is too boring.

After a while, you decide to defy Jack's orders—ouh! Risky!—and go back to the Hub. You pick up a couple of pizzas on the way, just in case Tosh is there, or Jack and Ianto are back, and they're hungry.

Unfortunately, when you get there, there's no one around. You sit down on the couch and leave the pizzas on the coffee table, open one and start eating. You've got paperwork to do, so you take one of the pizzas to your workstation to eat as you work. You've eaten half of it when a phone rings. It's not yours, and there's no one around, so it has to be Dan Hodges's. It reads "1 TEXT MESSAGE RECEIVED CF10 6BY".

You take it with you, pick up your earpiece and put it on as you check the code on your workstation. You start to remember that's the location of the Weevil Fight Club.

"Jack, can you hear me?" You ask through the comm.

"What the hell are you doing there? I told you to go home." You take that as a yes.

"I was bored and came back. Anyway, a text message just came through on Dan Hodges's phone. Charlie Foxtrot One Zero Six Bravo Yankee." You recite. "Seems to be a postcode for a building. One that's gonna have a Lynch Frost sign outside." You take another slice of pizza and take a bite. It's getting cold.

"Okay, I've got the location." You hear Tosh's voice on the background.

"Lucy, we'll pick you up on the way." Jack informs you.

"So, people get in the loop by text message and they head to a property—" Ianto starts, and is cut off by Tosh.

"A property Mark Lynch knows is empty."

"So the question is: what happens when they get there?" You hear Jack.

"Does this prove my Weevil Fight Club theory?" You joke as you finish that slice and take another. When they come to pick you up, you've already finished one of the pizzas. You drive to the location Tosh found, and as soon as you get there, you burst in through the main door. Jack fires a couple of shots straight to the air, catching everyone's attention. While you and Ianto stay at the door, stopping everyone from leaving, Jack and Tosh go forward, Tosh toward the cage Owen's in. You mentally facepalm yourself. You knew something was wrong, you should've said something!

"Owen!" Tosh calls out. "Open the door!" She shouts to someone. Tosh, who's usually so calm, is despairing over Owen, because a weevil's attacking him, and biting is neck.

"Bollocks." You curse, but there's so much noise around, no one can hear you.

Desperate move, Tosh shoots the weevil to get him off Owen. She repeats her former order, and a man opens the door. She runs to Owen, who doesn't realize who it is, and shouts "Get off me!" Or maybe he does realize and doesn't care.

Tosh and Jack get Owen to you, but then Jack turns back and says some words to Mark Lynch. Jack finally shouts, "It's over now. These creatures are to be left alone. Go back to your lives."

The last thing you remember are Mark Lynch's screams as the weevil attacks him.


	34. Combat: Day 3—Bonus Chapter

**Day 3.**

You're worried. Tosh's been staying with Owen for a while, too scared he might not recover, despite what the doctors assured her over and over again. You're surprised but answer the phone eagerly when Tosh calls you.

"Tosh?"

"The doctor reckons he can go home." Tosh says, relieved.

"That's good, yeah?" You smile.

"Yeah." You can imagine Tosh smile softly. "Jack says he'll be back at work tomorrow."

"Well, in any case, take care of him, yeah?" You say, and then hang up.

"Who was it?" Gareth asks you. You're in his appartment, having dinner with him. You promised this time you wouldn't be called in for work, but you can see worry in his face. He doesn't want you to go, and frankly? You don't want to go either.

"Toshiko. Her boyfriend was mugged and injured really badly. He was at the hopsital for a while but he's recovering now." You say. "She just called me to tell me the doctor said he could go home."

"Oh. Okay." Gareth looks relieved.

The night passes rather too quickly for you, and soon you have to get home, but you enjoyed it, and certainly hope it won't be the last meal you'll have together. But this is Torchwood, when does anything every go as planned?

**Combat (Bonus Chapter).**

Toshiko knew what she'd told Lucy about Owen's reasons for his erratic behavior being none of their business, but she couldn't help but worry about him. So as soon as they were alone, she asked him. Even if they were on their way to tell a family that the husband had died.

"Owen?" She asked. He just grunted in response. "What's wrong?"

Owen stayed quiet for a minute. Tosh was about to add that he better not tell her it was nothing, because she knew him well and could tell something was bothering him, but he spoke. "It's today."

"What about it?"

"Katie died today. Years ago, at this date." Owen explained. It was vague, but it still was an explanation. Owen didn't look at her when she said it, using the excuse that he was driving.

Tosh knew who Katie was. Katie was Owen's ex-girlfriend that had died a few years ago. Her dying because of an alien explained Jack offering Owen a job at Torchwood. Tosh felt really bad for him, and stupid for asking. "I'm sorry, Owen." She said, genuinely sorry and concerned.

Owen glanced at her, before looking back at the road. "Yeah, just… Don't tell anyone?" He asked.

"I won't, I promise." She said. And she kept her promise.


	35. Captain Jack Harkness: Day 1—Bonus Chap

**Day 1.**

You look up from your report when you hear a computer beep rather loudly. Owen—who'd been asleep on the couch seconds before—wakes with a start.

"What the hell is that?" He asks.

Ianto's in front of Tosh's workstation, checking something on the computer. "Tosh's Rift monitor program. She set it to alert me if there were any further movements." Owen sits up. "The Rift's been opening more and more recently."

"Yeah, well, I've noticed that. Doesn't take a genius." Owen remarks, being a sarcastic prat as usual. He stands up and walks over to Ianto.

"Tosh reckons the equations are forming a pattern. I should call her. She may have readings her end and this is over my head." Ianto picks up his phone to call her. This all sounds extremely familiar to you, but you can't remember why.

"Um, why wasn't I told about this?" Owen asks. That's the first time you speak.

"You may be her boyfriend but you aren't exactly the most reliable person at work, you know?" Ianto and Owen glance at you, as if they've just remembered you were there. "Oh, come on! I'm not invisible!"

Owen snorts at that. "Who ever said I was her boyfriend?" He asks you.

You suppress the urge to laugh at that. Instead, you say, "I thought it was obvious." And then wink at him.

Ianto hangs up. "The line's dead." He informs. "Lucy, can you get down Sage Street?" He asks you.

"Wait—what were Jack and Tosh doing again?" You ask him, remembering this bit differently, with Gwen in her car.

"Investigating the old Ritz Dancehall. The one that was shut down. They said they could hear music from the 1940s."

"Shit." You curse. "No need to go, I know what happened." Forget about Owen, you need to tell Ianto and find the transcript in Jack's office to get the code and bring them back without using the Rift Manipulator recklessly.

Owen snorts. "Oh, really?"

Ianto, instead, turns to you, as if urging you to keep going. You take a deep breath.

"Jack and Tosh were taken by the Rift. Well, sort of. They slipped through time and now they're in 1941 meeting the real Captain Jack Harkness. Long story." You explain.

Owen snorts, again. "Does this mean you're too lazy to go to Sage Street and actually check it out?"

Ianto, instead, looks a bit worried. "What do you mean, 'meeting the real Captain Jack Harkness'?" He asks you. _Oops._

"I better let Jack tell you." You give him an apologetic look. "Anyway, I'll see if I can find the transcript so we can get them back." You hurry to Jack's office. Behind you, you can hear Owen saying,

"Can you believe her?"

While you're looking for the transcript, Owen and Ianto move to the conference room. You can't find the transcript, so you get back to them. Maybe Ianto knows where it is.

There, you find them researching the Ritz Dancehall.

"Right, the Ritz Dancehall, opened in 1932, shut down in 1989. Due to be demolished in one week. Now, the reported music is from the 1940s. Why is a ghost job taking them this long?"

You roll your eyes as you come in. Ianto turns to you. "Found anything?"

"No. Do you think you can take a look?" You ask him. He nods. But turns to the screen for a moment. Something caught his eye. You try looking for what he saw, and you find it. It's a picture of Jack, Tosh, and the real Captain Jack. "Well, this proves my theory, doesn't it?"

Owen looks up at the picture. His jaw drops. "How…?" He trails off, but you don't answer. Instead, Ianto goes to Jack's office, to find the transcript.

"Okay, so we use Tosh's information to open the rift and bring them back." Owen says after Ianto's gone.

"Half the equation's missing." You point out.

"It can't be. It must be somewhere else. Let me try." He walks over to the workstations, and you sigh before following him.

"It's not there. It might be in her laptop." Owen, instead of looking for the laptop, put his face in his hands.

"Which she never goes anywhere without. Shit. Shit!" He starts cursing.

"But I've got the other half of the equation on the transcript. So, maybe, if Ianto can find it…"

Ianto walks out of the office at that moment, without the transcript, and you know he's failed.

"I know where it is." He says. "In a locked compartment, and he's got the keys with him."

"Well, we can pick the lock, right?" Owen proposes.

Ianto shakes his head. "Whoever opens the compartment by picking the lock gets electrocuted."

"Well… I could get back to my flat, get the episode and come back." You propose.

Ianto nods. "Okay."

"Hurry." Owen, even if he doesn't understand how you did that, pleads you, and you realize he might like Tosh even more than you thought.

"I'll be right back." You promise.

* * *

You get back with your hardrive, which conveniently, you'd left at home that day. But now you're back at the Hub, and you plug it in the computer at your workstation.

"There are no more photographs of Jack and Tosh after that night. That's encouraging." Ianto tries to calm Owen down, who's been hovering over you as soon as you came back.

"Yeah, unless the bombs got 'em." He says worriedly.

"Don't worry, Owen, we'll get them back." You promise as you look for the file. You click on 'Torchwood', then 'Season 1', then 'Captain Jack Harkness', and the episode starts. It starts with Jack's usual speech of "Torchwood. Outside the government, beyond the police. Tracking down alien life on Earth and arming the human race against the future. The 21st century's when everything changes, and you've gotta be ready." You can't help but recite it, though you do it softly, Owen and Ianto can still hear you. You pause and start looking through the entire episode, but you can't find it complete. "Oh, come on, I'm sure it's here somewhere." Problem is, you don't remember when.

Owen, frustrated, kicks the floor and walks toward the Rift Manipulator. You're so caught up on finding the formula that you barely notice until Ianto asks,

"What are you doing?" Then a moment later. "Owen!"

"We haven't got the missing numbers. We'll improvise with the Rift Manipulator." Owen finally says.

"We can't. It's risky enough with the equation. If we don't do it properly, anything can happen." Ianto protests. You keep looking, just in case you find it.

"Bombs are falling. They're stuck in the middle of the Cardiff Blitz. It's our duty to get 'em out." Owen insists.

"Owen." You say. "If you open the Rift, even a little, the whole city will be in danger. Ianto's right, it's risky enough with Tosh's equation."

Owen ignores you and starts doing something with one of the computers. Frustrated, he punches the desk. "It isn't working."

"Good. Jack would never have wanted us to use it this way." Ianto says.

"There's a piece missing. We've got to find it." Owen insists. He starts moving away but Ianto grabs his arm. Owen pulls away.

"Maybe you should go home." Ianto proposes.

"You don't have any power over me." He shrugs. "Okay, Ianto, we'll play it your way—safe and boring."

"Well, your way could get many people killed and the end of the world happening. Why does the world always have to end?" You ask to no one in particular.

"Because that's how it works." Owen answers.

"Back at home the world was never close to ending." You mumble, but everything's so quiet in the Hub, Owen and Ianto hear you. "Anyway," you go back to the episode. "I think I almost found it." You get to the part where Tosh cuts her palm with a tin can, and Owen, who'd hurried to your side, sees it, and winces.

"Tosh…" He mumbles.

"Bollocks." It isn't complete. "Wait!" You remember part of the episode, earlier. You pass over a scene with Gwen and Owen stops you.

"Wait, wait, is that PC Cooper?" He asks you.

"Yeah."

"What's she doing there?"

"She works for Torchwood. I just, sort of replaced her." You explain. "Moving on." You keep looking for the scene you remembered. "Found it! But there's something missing… Crap. That comes later." You start talking to yourself without noticing. "Anyway, the other part must be easy to find after this." You note the equation down. You find the part. "Tosh, you are brilliant." You write the rest down. "I'm not sure how it goes but here we've got the main thing. Hopefully it'll work correctly."

Owen grabs the equation and starts writing it down on Tosh's computer. "It still won't work. There's a piece missing." He says after a while. Then, you remember.

"Of course! That Bilis Manger guy has it. I'll go get it." Before any of them can stop you, you grab your military jacket and run out of the Hub. You take a cab and get to the building. You realize Ianto's followed you when you're about to close the door behind you. "You left Owen alone at the Hub?" You ask him. He nods. "Dangerous choice."

"Probably." He admits.

"Look, I'll get the piece to the Hub, you stay here until Jack and Tosh return, okay?" You propose, and he agrees. You run into the building and find Bilis's office, then find the piece. You slip it into your jacket's pocket and then walk out before he can see you. Then you run out and Ianto gives you the spare keys for the SUV, so you don't have to hail another cab. You thank him, and drive back to the Hub.

Owen's there, freaking out. When he sees you, he exclaims, "About time!"

You roll your eyes and put the missing piece where it goes. You don't realize Owen's deleted part of the equation. It was more of an accident, really, but still. When you turn back and see Tosh's computer, you curse.

"What?" Owen asks you.

"Did you touch the computer while we were out?" You ask him.

"What? No I—" Then he seems to be remembering something. You facepalm. "Look I—"

"Looks like the world is going to end after all."

**Captain Jack Harkness (Bonus Chapter).**

"I can't believe it!" Owen ranted, furious. He'd told Tosh about Lucy being from a parallel universe where their lives were a TV show. It certainely explained a lot of things, mainly Lucy's sudden outbursts. Toshiko had had many suspicions about her, but she'd never thought the girl was from a parallel universe, or that their lives were a _TV show_. Tosh had been a bit mad at first, but not anymore. Owen certainly coudn't understand that. He was still furious.

"Owen, calm down." Tosh asked.

"I can't calm down! It's enough with just Jack keeping secrets from us, but now Lucy too! And Ianto! He'd kept the cyberwoman hidden from us all this time!" He knew he was being a jerk, but he didn't care. "What, are you keeping something from me too?" He asked Tosh, accusingly glaring at her. Now he was just being irrational. Tosh would never hide anything from him, but still. The fact that his friends kept deceiving him hurt him a lot, even if he didn't want to—and wouldn't— admit it.

"Owen, I'm not keeping anything from you." Tosh protested. Owen forced himself to take in a deep breath.

"I know, I know." He sat down besides Tosh, who put her arm around him, in a comforting manner. "I'm sorry." And, not for the first time, Tosh managed to calm him down.


	36. End of Days: Day 1

**Day 1.**

You wake up when Jack calls you. It's supposed to be your day off, but you already knew things were going to go to hell, so you weren't counting on having the day to yourself. Jack's call confirms your theory.

"You watching the news?" He says, and you curse.

"I don't need to, I'm on my way." You hang up and sigh.

* * *

You're sitting at your workstation, trying to think about another way to stop it all, without having to open the Rift and free Abaddon.

Ianto comes in, holding a Bible, and reading. ""And I heard but did not understand and I said, 'Master, what is the End of all these things?' And he said, " 'Go, Daniel, for the things are closed up and sealed until the end of time.' " Daniel 12, verse 10."

"This totally makes me feel better." You say sarcastically.

Owen's standing near the Doctor's hand, but his focus is on another machine. "This machine's on the blink. Keeps losing power." He walks up to where Ianto is and sees him holding the Bible. "Sorry, don't let me stop your portents of doom. Or have you finished?" He goes back to his sarcastic self.

While Owen sits at his desk, Ianto puts the Bible aside. "No. Plenty more where that came from." You roll your eyes but you know it's true. Jack, who'd been sitting at his desk, stands up and joins you, Tosh following him close behind. "Abaddon, the Great Devourer, who'll lead the world into shadow." Ianto says.

"Yeah, thanks, Ianto, I can do without the superstition. You people love any story that denies the randomness of existence." Jack says as he walks in.

"Thanks. That makes me feel better." Ianto replies, also being sarcastic.

"Supernatural's Abaddon is even worse." You snort. You had to tell Owen your story, and obviously he told Tosh. Owen was cross with you for a while but Tosh wasn't, at least not much, and managed to calm him down. Jack isn't happy that they know, but there was no other way to try to save them.

"What's Supernatural?" Owen asks.

"One of the best TV shows of all time." You answer.

"What about us? I mean, we're a TV show, right?" You nod. "Aren't we one of the best TV shows of all time?" He feigns jealousy.

"Totally." You admit.

"Ha!" Owen says smugly.

"Guys! I've been fielding calls all night. The government, UNIT, the CIA... Half the western world and a good portion of the Eastern are asking the same question: Is this anything to do with us?" Jack interrupts.

"Yes." You nod immediately.

"Lucy is right." Tosh says, before telling you all to follow her to the conference room. There, she walks toward the plasma as she taps in commands. "I've run a profile on every reported temporal anomaly and tracked any physical or temporal pattern." She shows the world map on the monitor. There's a big red dot indicating Cardiff, and from there, red lines appear in various locations.

"Definitely our fault." You add.

"The cracks in time trace back here to the Rift. This city—this Hub—is the center. What you're seeing around the world are ripples and aftershocks. The Rift is splintering because of you." Jack looks at you and Owen.

"What?" Owen asks.

"It's not my fault parts of the equation were erased!" You glare at Owen.

"I didn't mean to erase them!" Owen protests. "So are we going to sit around crying into our lattes, or shall we do something about it?" You have to admit he's got a point.

"Bring those who've fallen through time back here, into the vaults." Jack orders.

"And do what with them?" Owen asks.

"We'll deal with phase one first, then I'll tell you about phase two." Jack still ressents Owen, it's obvious. Even Ianto couldn't help, so you wonder if anyone can.

"You can't control time. You can't send them back!" He starts shouting "What are you gonna do?"

"We'll think of something!" Jack shouts back. Owen quiets down. You look around. All of them, except Jack, look guilty and scared, and you have a feeling you look like that as well. "Hey, this is _not_ the end of the world." Jack says softly, trying to cheer you up.

You can't help but snort. "Just because this isn't the end of the world doesn't mean the world isn't about to end." You reply. "Why is it always the end of something? Just for once, I'd like to see a season finale without anything about to end!" You rant softly to yourself.

"Well, you say this isn't the end of the world, so we'll be fine, right?" Jack still tries to cheer you all up.

"Not if we don't start moving. So…" You trail off, looking at Jack so he can give you more orders.

Just before he can say something, a computer beeps, and Ianto goes to check. "Priority one attendance requested at the hospital. Mortality rate's gone through the roof. They're sealing off the area and designating it a hot zone." He reads.

"I'll go." Owen says, putting his earpiece on.

"Tosh, go with him." Jack orders.

"Uh, no, thanks, I'm fine on my own." Owen just wants to be alone. He feels guilty enough because he's caused this and he knows it, and he blames himself when he probably shouldn't, because if he said the truth, it was just an accident.

Still, Tosh won't take no for an answer. "And you'll be even better with me alongside." She says firmly, as she grabs his arm softly and leads him out. "Shut up and come on." They leave.

"I love it when the world's ending." You mumble sarcastically. Honestly, you can't believe it. You've seen it many times, in many different shows, different countries and eras, but you never thought you'd _live_ it. "It's even better when it involves Abaddon."

"How did we stop it?" Jack asks. You know this is a serious matter, even more than when it involved Tosh and Mary.

"You're not worried about the spoilers?" You try to joke and fail miserably. "Some things happened and the Rift was fully opened, and then Abaddon was freed…" You hesitate.

"And how did we stop Abaddon?" Jack pushes.

"He—he fed off human lives so…" You take a deep breath. Ianto's here, and you know he'll understand. You also know it'll hit him hard, probably as much—or maybe even harder—than Jack. You glance at him before answering. "You gave him an all-you-can-eat buffet." You say softly, looking back at Jack. If Jack pales, Ianto's completely white, and looks like he's about to faint. Jack just needs to take a look at Ianto to understand why glanced at Ianto before answering. As Jack walks over to Ianto to pull him to a hug and mumble some things in his ear—reassuring things, you bet—your phone rings and you answer it. "Lucy Blake, how can I help you?"

"Lucy, it's Gwen." Gwen says. "I didn't know who else to call—"

Before she can say anything else, you interrupt her, "I'm on my way."

* * *

Jack wanted to come with you but you pulled him aside and insisted he had to stay, for Ianto's sake. It was obvious the young Welshman wasn't going to recover from such a shock any time soon, never mind how well he says he is.

"What is it?" You ask as soon as you get to the police station, though you don't need to ask to know what it's all about.

Gwen and her partner, Andy, show you the monitor where you can see the Roman soldier shouting in latin. "Double murder. Stabbed two blokes in Penarth. Brutal, it was. No mercy." Andy informed you.

"What are we supposed to do? He doesn't speak a word of English, and he's dressed as a bloody Roman soldier!" Gwen exclaims.

"He's not dressed as a Roman soldier, he _is_ a Roman soldier. And he's shouting in latin, probably." You admit.

"Only word I could pick out was Gelligaer." Andy says.

"Gelligaer." Gwen corrects his pronunciation.

"Isn't there a Roman Fort out at Gelligaer? Built around 75 AD?" You ask. Gwen nods. "I'm guessing he was on his way there, time splintered, he ends up here." You say to yourself.

"Excuse me?" Gwen asks. You look up at her, realising you've spoken out loud. "What does that mean?"

"Yeah, just," you shake your head, "ignore me."

"But what did you mean?" Gwen insists.

"That soldier came through a crack in time." Both Andy and Gwen's eyes widen. "Look, I need to get him back to the Hub." You say to Gwen. "Can you help me get him in the SUV?"

After a while trying to sedate him, you finally do and Gwen and Andy help you carry him to the SUV.

"Everyone's saying it, you know—in work, on the streets. Do you think this is the end of the world?" Gwen asks you.

You think of your answer carefully. "Just because the world is about to end doesn't mean it will _definitely_ end. That's what Torchwood's here for." You tell her. "Save the world when it seems impossible to." You fake a small smile and then drive back to the Hub.

The ride's silent, as you don't even bother to turn on the radio or put on some music from your phone. You park the car, and you see Bilis Manger. Your eyes widen. You recognize him even though you've never seen him in person before.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." He says though his lips aren't moving.

"Oh no." You can't help but say. "Don't you dare! Don't you dare go after any of them, you bastard!" You're referring to Gareth, Caren and Arthur. You know Bilis killed Rhys to get Gwen to open the Rift. You don't want him _near_ the people you care about. "They haven't done anything, don't you dare!" You can't help but shout, and you punch him—or try to, since he disappears just to prevent receiving the blow. You hit the steering wheel, tears in your eyes, before getting out of the car, and slamming the door shut. Before you get the Roman soldier out of the trunk, you call Gareth. When you're talking to him, your voice trembles slightly.

"Hey, are you okay?" He asks you, having obviously noticed how upset you are.

"Oh, you know me." You fake a smile, even if he can't hear you. "I'm on a rollercoaster that only goes up." You quote. Since you read "The Fault in our Stars", that's the reply you use when people ask you if you're okay when in reality it's completely the opposite. That's not what the character meant when he said it, but given the story of the book, every sentence said, every quote can have different meanings.

"I was thinking, maybe we could go bowling tonight?" He asks.

"I can't tonight, sorry. What about tomorrow?" You ask.

"Yeah. Tomorrow's perfect." He sounds a bit disappointed that it's not today, but you're not sure when all this is going to end, so…

"See ya." You say before hanging up. You get the soldier back at the Hub, and inside a cell. You're surprised to find the Hub silent. No sign of life whatsoever.

You come bak from the cells and Jack and Ianto arrive. "Coming through." Ianto announces, as the cogwheel turns to let him in. He has a handcuffed weevil with him. Jack's right behind him, with another handcuffed weevil. "Thirteen more reports of Weevils on the loose. We can't keep up at this rate." Ianto says as he sprays the weevil to calm him down. Ianto still doesn't look well, but Jack's with him so he could be worse.

"Everything's on the increase." Jack adds.

"Obviously." You're worried out of your mind. "I need to go." You say suddenly, and walk out.

"Lucy. Lucy!" Jack shouts back.

But you don't answer, you grab the keys for the SUV and drive back to your flat, since it's faster than walking. You've got tears in your eyes, and you're afraid. Very afraid.

You wipe them away as a couple fall, and you knock on Gareth's door repeatedly. No answer. You take a paperclip out of your pocket—ever since you've started working for Torchwood, you've had a paperclip with you at all times just in case you need to pick a lock—and use it to open the door. You put in back in your pocket, and walk in. You look around, but there's nothing. And it's not until you step further inside that you step on something that stains your studded foldable black military combat boots red that you find him. Or—should I say—his body. Gareth's lying on the floor. His blue eyes, which had previously been full of life, are now empty, and staring into the nothing.

This time you don't stop the tears when they fall.

"No." You shake your head. "No. No, please." You kneel next to him, not caring if you stain your studded black skinny jeans. You hold him in your arms as you cry. Then you start sobbing. You're angry. You're so, so angry. But you're even more sad, and torn apart by his death, that you can't move away.

You don't know how much time has passed since you first found him, but you haven't left his side since. You feel a hand on your shoulder, and you hesitate a bit before looking up. It's Jack. And he's not alone. Ianto and Tosh are here as well. The sobs that had stopped a while ago come again, and you turn your head to look at Gareth again. This time, you're more angry than sad.

You kiss Gareth's forehead, before finally letting go of him. You're covered in blood. Your black leather jacket and your dark turquoise off shoulder tunic are stained as well, but you don't care. You wipe your tears, and force the sobs to stop.

You let your teammates lead you back to the SUV. Ianto drives his car, since they had to take his to follow you, and Jack drives back to the Hub. You're in the car with Tosh and Jack.

"Where's Owen?" You ask. Your first words since they found you covered in blood.

"He's been relieved of his duties." Jack answers. You were staring at the window, but now you turn your head to stare at Jack.

"You're kidding." When he doesn't answer, you grow mad. "Are you bloody stupid? Why did you—no, don't answer that. I know why. But we need everyone to deal with this bloody apocalypse."

"It's not the apocalypse." Jack says.

"Well, it might as well be!" You exclaim, before turning back to the window. You take a deep breath, to calm you down. Your anger's taking hold of you, and you can't take it out on the first person who makes a mistake. If anything, you've got to take it out on who made it happen, on Bilis Manger. "Sorry. But, just so you know, firing Owen was a big mistake."

"Oh, really?" Jack raises an eyebrow at you.

"Yeah." You refuse to look at him. You look out the window again, wishing to get lost. Why did this have to happen? If you couldn't stop it, will you be able to stop Owen and Tosh from dying? That makes you start crying again. Tosh—who's on the passenger seat—looks back at you, and says something but you don't hear her. Instead, you start muttering the lyrics of a song, if anything to help you calm down, because you're emotionally unstable right now, and the slightest provocation could lead to a disaster. "What about the world today?" You sing softly. "What about the place that we call home? We've never been so many, and we've never been… So alone."

* * *

You fiddle with your key necklace as you walk back into the Hub. You're still numb. You're still angry. You're still sad. You're still feeling the weight of loss on your shoulders. You wonder if it's possible for you to be in love with Gareth—you haven't spent that much time with him, because of your job—because it sure feels like you do.

"Lucy, I'm so sorry." Tosh says. You smile faintly at her.

"Thanks but…" You take a deep breath. "Saying you're sorry won't bring him back." Your voice breaks when you say those last words and you look away. You don't want to start crying. Not because your teammates are around, but because crying won't bring him back either.

You sit on the couch, but you can't help the few tears that fall. At least you're not sobbing.

The cogwheel opens and alarms blare. Owen comes through and sees you crying. "Oh, shit. What happened?" He asks. You don't answer. Instead, Tosh does.

"Her boyfriend died." She says softly.

"No. He was murdered." You correct her. "Bilis Manger did it."

"Bilis Manger? That's the Ritz's caretaker." Jack's now suddenly interested in Gareth's death.

"He wants to open the Rift to free Abaddon." You admit, then look up at Owen, because you know he's here to open the Rift, though why? You don't know. Since he didn't have that thing with Diane, then maybe it's because of Katie? "I won't stop you if you do." You tell him.

Something flickers in his eyes and your suspicions are confirmed. He wants to open the Rift. He walks to the Rift Manipulator. Ianto makes a step toward him, a little hesitant.

Jack obviously doesn't see his hesitation. "Make sure you stop him."

You see Ianto's face, and you realize how torn apart he is. What he thinks will bring Lisa back, or follow the orders that came from the man he loves—at least you hope they're already in love.

Finally, Jack notices his hesitation. But just when he's about to say something, Tosh follows Owen. "Toshiko?" Jack asks her.

"I'm going to help him." She admits.

You stand up and follow them, because you know if they do open the Rift, the computer will need everyone's retina print scanned. Ianto follows, but you can see he's not sure about what he's going to do either.

"Lucy! Ianto!" Jack yells at you, and follows you, but he has to run to catch up with you since you're already with Owen and Tosh.

"Enter Emergency Protocol One." Tosh tells Owen. Owen just types.

"Get away from the computer, Owen." Jack arrives. Ianto stands aside, still confused. You stand between Ianto and the rest of the team. Tosh and Owen exchange a look, and Tosh takes Owen's place near the computer. Owen just looks ready to attack Jack if necessary. "This is a trap. All these cracks around the world, they're diversions. This is what Bilis wants. Shouldn't you know that, Lucy?" He turns to you at the end.

"Of course I know that." You reply. "Doesn't mean I'm going to stop it." Grief's still heavy on you. Otherwise, you probably would've stood with Jack. But that would be under different circumstances. "And maybe he hasn't just murdered Gareth. Maybe Caren and Arthur are dead as well." Only Tosh knows who they are, but you don't care. "I can't let them die. Not when it's my fault." You blame yourself even though it's not your fault. You blame yourself because you knew you couldn't stop them from dying. You blame yourself because it hurts so much, you don't know how else to deal with it, than try to correct it. But you also know what's going to happen is so terrible, you wouldn't do what Gwen did and start it all yourself. You'll help, but that's it. Your retina print should be enough, and that's all you'll do.

"What are you afraid of, Jack?" Owen asks.

"Rhea Silva." He answers.

Jack takes out his gun and points it at Tosh's back. "I said 'Move!'", he repeats. That infuriates Owen, who puts himself directly between the gun and Tosh.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" He shouts. He wouldn't let Tosh be hurt.

"Final warning." He repeats. Tosh stops, and turns to Jack.

"Jack…" She starts, and then trails off.

"You're a united front now? Toshiko, the poor girl who'll screw any passing alien that gives her a pendant? Owen, so strong, he gets in a cage with a Weevil, desperate to be mauled. Or Ianto, hiding his cyber-girlfriend in the basement. Your two comrades here pumped bullets into her, remember?" Ianto tenses at Jack's words, and you feel anger bubbling up inside you.

"Jack, stop it." You order, even though you know you're in no position to do such thing.

"Oh, because you're in so much pain." He tells you. "You're in so much pain that you won't do anything other than sulk even though _you_ started this."

You clench you fists. "That's the thing about pain. It demands to be felt." You quote.

"And you're going to let the whole world end just because that little boyfriend of yours just died?"

That's it. That's the final straw. You don't care if Gwen did the same thing, you punch him in the face so hard he falls to the floor, dropping his gun. "Fuck you, Jack! Fuck you!"

Owen takes his chance and picks up Jack's gun and points it at Jack.

"We're relieving you of your command, 'Captain'. We're opening that Rift and getting back what we lost!" Owen yells. You know you shouldn't have punched him, and now that you finally let your anger out, you feel a bit calmer, and guiltier too, but that doesn't mean Jack wasn't being a dick. Tosh goes back to typing.

"Shit." She curses when the monitor reads that it'll need everyone's retina print. Jack starts to get up, but Owen shouts.

"Stay down!"

"You're in charge, Owen? You've gotta have significantly bigger balls." Jack's being a dick again. Owen shoots him in the head, and you jump back, startled. Ianto's eyes widen, and you stop him from going over to Jack since Owen's still shooting him. When he stops, you let him go, and Ianto kneels next to Jack, and holds him.

"I'm sick of people doubting me." Owen practically spits out.

Ianto just looks at him in shock. He's pale, incredibly pale. "What have you done?"

Owen doesn't answer and scans everyone's retina prints, including Jack's. A warning pops, saying that it'll damage the Hub's infrastructure. He doesn't even hesitate and immediately presses enter. An alarm blares, as Jack gasps back to life, and Ianto tightens his grip on him. Jack grips Ianto hard, as he focuses again on what happened. You can barely hear Tosh and Owen's exclamations. They didn't know Jack wouldn't stay dead. When Jack looks up at Ianto, he looks so guilty and is full of regret. Jack takes this as a bad sign, and finally pays attention to the alarm and his surroundings.

"What have you done?" He finally asks, and you look away. Everything starts to break.

"Shit. I didn't remember this." You say as an apology. Ianto puts Jack's arm around his shoulders, and grabs him by his waist, helping him walk away from all the mess. The Hub's being destroyed, and you're lucky you get out.

Jack's leaning heavily on Ianto, who's having trouble carrying him, but does it nonetheless. He grips him tight, and you know that even if Jack was able to carry himself out, Ianto wouldn't let go of him, because he knows the moment will come and he will die.

You're out on the streets when you hear a voice behind you. "From out of the darkness, he is come." It's Bilis Manger. You turn to him, furious.

"You." You say accusingly, your entire fury in your words. "It's your fault." You run over to hit him, but Owen and Tosh stop you. You glare at them, but stop fighting, frustrated.

"What is he talking about?" Tosh asks.

"Son of the Great Beast, cast out before time, chained in rock and imprisoned beneath the Rift." Bilis replies.

"I know the Great Beast." You admit. "Almost killed the Doctor. And Rose. And pretty much everyone on that ship." You remember. "I hope I'm not getting anything wrong." You're still angry, but since you can't take it out on him, you clench your fists, your fingernails digging into your skin. Bilis doesn't reply. Instead, he looks up at something behind you.

"All hail Abaddon, the Great Devourer."

"Shit." You curse, and look. Abaddon's even more hideous than in the episode.

"Come to feast on life." Bilis says. "The whole world shall die beneath his shadow." Without looking, you know the entire team's staring at Abaddon. Bilis sounds proud when he speaks to Abaddon. "I look upon you, my god, and know my work is done." You turn to him but before you can yell at him or try to punch him again, he disappears.

Jack turns to you. "Get me to an open space." You know what he's going to do. You shake your head.

"No way. I'm not sending you to your death." He stares at you, hoping you'll comply, but you stand firm. Then finally, he looks up at Ianto.

"Ianto." He doesn't need to repeat his order. Ianto pales, but nods once, before moving him to the SUV's passenger seat, and then walking around to drive.

"What do we do now?" Owen asks.

"Now we wait." You reply.

* * *

You leave Owen and Tosh alone, and you walk back to your building. There, you knock on Gareth's door. Nervously, you wait until the door opens, and Gareth stares at you with surprise, then he frowns.

"What happened to you?" He asks. You look down at your clothes, still covered in blood, then look back up at him. You'd forgotten about your clothes, and now you forget about them again.

"It's you…" You whisper. "It's really you." Tears threaten to spill, and you pull Gareth into a hug. You hug him fiercely, and refuse to let him go.

"Yeah, it's me…" Gareth trails off, confused. "What happened to you, are you all right?"

"Why wouldn't I be?" _Now that you're back_ goes unsaid.

"Because you're covered in blood." He points out.

"It's not mine." You admit, but still won't let him go. "God, I'm so glad you're all right." Suddenly, you start crying again. At least you're not sobbing. You bury your head on his chest, and Gareth holds you.

"Are you sure you're all right?" He asks again.

"Oh, you know me," you repeat your words from earlier, "I'm on a rollercoaster that only goes up." And this time, you actually mean it. This time, you cry because you're happy. You cry tears of joy, because you've recovered what you'd lost. Because everything will be all right.

Still, you can't help it when you say, "I love you." And as soon as you've said it, you mean it. Gareth's startled, but doesn't react in a bad way.

Instead, he replies, "I love you too."

* * *

When you return to the Hub, everyone's in the morgue, around Jack's body. He looks deathly pale, and even though you're used to him dying and don't react anymore, just the sight of him so pale makes you sick.

"How is he?"

"Dead." Owen replies.

"You sure?"

"He's ice cold. No vital signs." Owen says.

"He can't die." Ianto whispers the words, too heartbroken to say it louder.

"He was wrong." Owen says tactlessly.

"No, he wasn't. He's a fixed point in time and space. He doesn't know it but still. He can't die permanently. He won't until…" You trail off. "Spoilers."

Owen shakes his head. "He won't wake up. He's dead. Permanently."

You force yourself to be patient. "Why don't we leave him, yeah?" Owen and Tosh start to leave, and before you follow them, you hug Ianto, and whisper in his ear, "Kiss him."

Before he can ask why, you walk out, close behind Owen and Tosh. They turn on the monitor and watch Ianto. Now that you're all gone, he lets a few tears fall. He sits next to Jack, just staring at him. Finally, he speaks. "Wake up." He asks, brokenly. Then he leans over and kisses Jack. It's a short kiss. He pulls away and stares at Jack, before standing up. He hears Jack gasping, coming back to life once again, and Ianto's shock is written all over his face. It doesn't stop him from sitting back down and holding Jack's hand immediately.

Jack smiles. "Thank you." And the look he gives Ianto is so full of love that you can't help but squeal a little. Then Jack pulls Ianto into a kiss, a real one. Owen clears his throat, deciding to ruin your fun.

"Right. Time to move, people. Let's clean up this mess." He looks uncomfortable. Both him and Tosh are in shock, but Owen's also nervous. It was his fault after all. He was the one who deleted the equation, accidentally or not, and he doesn't want to face Jack.

You don't say anything, and start cleaning up. You remember this is when Jack's leaves with the Doctor. At least this is when it should. It's kind of a few days earlier, but maybe things will change now.

Jack walks in about ten minutes later. He's wearing his usual attire, except for the coat. Tosh runs over to him, and he hugs her. You smile at him. He comes and hugs you.

"Good to have you back." You say.

"It's good to be back." He replies. Since everyone in the room is silent, you know Tosh and Ianto will hear you, even if you whisper, so instead you think, _Not for long._

At that moment, Owen comes in, carrying a kit. When he sees Jack, he drops it. Jack pulls away and walks over to where Owen is.

"I—" Owen starts.

Jack just pulls him into a hug as well. "I forgive you." He holds Owen as he cries.

* * *

Later, Tosh and Owen are getting coffee for everyone, since Ianto's coffee machine was broken in the wreckage, and you and Ianto stay with Jack, in the man's office. At first, Ianto was about to go with the rest, but stopped him. You don't know if the Doctor's coming, but you have a feeling he will, and you don't want Jack to go without having said goodbye to Ianto.

"What's happened to the Rift?" Ianto asks.

"It closed up when Abaddon was destroyed. But it's gonna be more volatile than ever."

"No more days off." You joke.

"How's your boyfriend?" Jack asks you.

"Alive. Has no idea he died." You answer.

You all stay quiet, until Ianto speaks. "The visions we had. We all saw people we loved. What did you see?"

"Nothing. I saw nothing." Jack says. You don't know if he's lying or not.

"What would have tempted you? What visions would have convinced you to open the rift?" Ianto asks. He's curious, trying to understand Jack a little more.

Jack looks straight into Ianto's eyes, and answers, "The right kind of Doctor."

You can't help it but play dumb. "Doctor who?" You crack a smile at that.

Jack smiles a little. "Oh, you know. Just the Doctor." Then you leave his office, walking back to the main part of the Hub.

* * *

After a while, Jack and Ianto walk out of the office. They probably were having a private conversation. Jack immediately asks, "Where are they with those coffees?"

You shrug. "Dunno."

Then the Doctor's hand starts glowing. You're a bit surprised, but that's all.

Jack practically runs over to the jar, and Ianto follows him, a bit worried. Jack's face lights up and he smiles when he hears the TARDIS sound, and you can't help but grin as well, and start fangirling.

"That's the TARDIS!" You can't help but exclaim.

"Yeah." Jack looks over at Ianto and his smile fades. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, but I have to go. I've been waiting for—"

"For centuries. I know." Ianto nodded with understanding. "Go." Jack smiles, and kisses Ianto, and hugs you before he heads off.

"Say hi to the Doctor from me!" You shout after him.

"Do you know him?" Ianto asks you when Jack's out of sight. "The Doctor."

"Not in person." You turn to him. "You want us to watch a Doctor Who marathon sometimes? Rift permitting."

Ianto hesitates before saying. "Sure."

Then the cogwheel turns and Owen and Tosh come in with the coffees. They look around.

"Where's Jack?" Owen asks.

"Gone." You answer. "But he'll be back."

"What do you mean, gone?" Tosh wonders.

"The Doctor came. Jack had to go." Ianto says.

"Yep. But he'll be back." You repeat. If Ianto doesn't believe you, Owen and Tosh think you're insane. "Oh, come on, team! We can handle a few months without him, right?"

"_Months?_" Owen's eyes widen.

"Timelines and all that. Plus, the Doctor isn't exactly an expert when it comes to driving the TARDIS." You explain.

"What the hell is a TARDIS?" Owen asks, a bit mad. Okay, definitely mad.

"Don't know if I should tell you."

"Well, since Jack's gone, that makes me the leader." Owen's about to say something, probably order you to answer his question about the TARDIS, but Ianto decides to come in and say one of his witty comments.

"God help us." Owen rolls his eyes at Ianto and you and Tosh chuckle.

"He's too busy writing about the Winchesters." When they all stare at you in confusion, you roll your eyes. "That's it. As soon as we've got some free time, I'm showing you Supernatural. And I won't take a no for an answer."

And while Jack's absence is going to be a great disadvantage, you're sure you can manage to, at least, stay alive until Jack comes back—not counting the Year That Never Was. Torchwood's still here, and you've got work to do. After all, the 21st century is when everything changes, and Torchwood's got to be ready.


	37. End of Days: Bonus Chapter

**A/N: Hey! I want to thank everyone who's read this story. I mean, now that season 1's come to an end and all... After this chapter, we're moving on to a surprise story before continuing with series 2. I hope you like this chapter, and, again, thank you!**

**End of Days AKA Apocalypse.**

Ianto drove, white as a sheet. He didn't know how he managed to get them both alive to an open space when his mind was thinking so many thoughts, he could barely focus on what was happening around him. When he finally got to where Jack wanted, he got out of the car himself, and helped Jack to walk. Until Jack pushed him away.

"Go!" He said.

For the first time, Ianto didn't do as he was told. "But Jack—"

"I'm serious, Ianto, you need to leave." Jack said, but Ianto wouldn't move. His hand was gripping Jack's arm tight, afraid to let him go. What if he died? Permanently this time? "Ianto." Jack ordered again, this time more calmly. "You need to leave."

Ianto finally let go of Jack, and made a few steps backwards, but couldn't keep moving. Jack noticed. Of course he did. What didn't he notice about Ianto? Jack walked toward him and kissed him, one las time. As if giving himself courage, but also Ianto. For Ianto to walk away and for Jack to face Abaddon.

"Go." He repeated softly as he broke the kiss, then forced himself to walk over to Abaddon, calling out for it. It broke Ianto's heart to walk away from him.

Watching Jack being killed by Abaddon was horrible. But Ianto couldn't do anything else. It was as if he'd been hypnotized, staring at Jack, no matter how painful it was, until he fell dead, and Ianto felt numb.

It took him about five minutes to recover, and run toward Jack's lifeless body. And there, he just held him. Ianto stroked his hair, did anything he could to convince himself that Jack would be coming back. But ten minutes passed, twenty, and nothing had happened.

It hurt him more than anything. He thought about bringing him to Owen, maybe he could save him. Or Lucy. Lucy would know what to do. Surely, Jack didn't die permanently in series 1. He couldn't have.

Ianto dried his tears, and carried Jack to the SUV, then drove toward the Hub, where he hoped he would get Jack back.


	38. Sound of Drums: Day 1

**A/N: So, before starting with season 2, I decided to bring in a few Doctor Who episodes, since they're basically in the same universe. So... This story (this is the first out of three chapters, without counting the bonus chapter) contains spoilers (very spoilery) for Doctor Who season 3 episodes "Utopia" (mentioned only); "Sound of Drums" (which is basically this chapter and the next) and "Last of the Time Lords" (which is the last of the three chapters). I'll be writing more Doctor Who episodes as well, sometimes instead of some Torchwood episodes and sometimes in between episodes or seasons, and I'll always mention which ones I'm doing (it'll be only New Who, since I've just recently started watching Classic Who). Hope you like it!**

**And, for my Guest reviewer: Thank you! Well, my idea of writing in second person was to make anyone feel like they were Lucy, another reason of why "Lucy Blake" is not her real name, just a name she made up when she arrived, and why I haven't said anything about how she looked. I'm glad that it works! And thank you, I definitely will write more of these!**

**Day 1.**

When you walk into the Hub, you only find Tosh. She's watching the news on her workstation. You walk over to her.

"Hey, Tosh." You greet her as you take off your black blazer and black messenger bag, leaving them at your workstation. "What's on the news?"

"Oh, it's just the new Prime Minister." She shrugs it off.

Your face falls. "What new Prime Minister?"

Tosh frowns at you. "Harold Saxon, who else?"

You can feel yourself paling. You run over to her workstation. "Turn it up."

Harold Saxon—the Master—is smiling at the camera. "This country has been sick. This country needs healing. This country needs medicine." Then, with the same infuriating grin, he adds. "In fact, I'd go so far as to say that what this country really needs right now, is a Doctor."

"Oh, this son of a bitch—"

"Hey, hey, what's going on? Who's gotten on your bad side this time?" Owen says as he comes in.

"The Master." You answer without thinking.

"Who?" Owen asks, confused.

"Harold Saxon." You clarify.

"Oh. Well, Saxon's called. Apparently there's something strange going on in the Himalayas and he needs us to go and check it out." Owen says. "Where's the newbie?"

"It's Gwen. One syllabe. Sure you can manage." Gwen says as she comes in, the cogwheel turning and alarms blaring. "I'm here, sorry I'm late."

"Hey Gwen." You greet her with a smile. Ever since Jack's been gone and the Rift more and more active you've been needing a hand, and you proposed Gwen Cooper. With your guidance (and by your guidance, I mean yours and the rest of the team's as well), she's better than she was in the show, growing faster and faster into the amazing badass Gwen Cooper she was in season 3 and 4.

"Well, newbie, pack up. We're going to the Himalayas." Owen claps his hands together. "All of you. Saxon needs all five of us."

"Yeah, actually, I think I'll stay behind." You interrupt.

"Why?" Owen asks.

"Just in case. We can't leave the city without defenses." You quickly add in.

"Spill." Owen orders.

"It's a long story. The Mas—Harold Saxon isn't who he says he is. He's a time lord and not a good one. He's trying to rule the universe, and he needs us out of his way. But I'm not sure if this has happened already or not."

Owen frowns. "How are you not sure?"

"Because this isn't supposed to happen. I mean, it happens but then something else happens and it all goes back in time, to some exact moment. I think it'll be in a few hours or days… Again, I'm not sure when. But then no one's supposed to remember it except those who were in the eye of the storm. I want to be there, but in case I don't get to, as soon as we go back in time, I'll forget about it and I'll never know whether we went through this or not." When you see Owen and Gwen's confused faces, you add, "Like the Doctor would say, this is very 'wibbly wobbly timey wimey'. I can't explain any better."

Owen has an inner debate before answering, "Fine, fine. You can stay here. Tosh, Gwen, Ianto, pack up, we're leaving soon." Then he turns to you. "Make your choice now. Whether you stay at home and don't come into the Hub, or you lock yourself here and don't come out."

You salute. "Sir, yes, sir." You mock. Owen rolls his eyes.

"We'll leave tonight." He adds to the others.

* * *

Later that night, you come back with all your stuff packed. You've told Gareth that you won't be available for a few days, and not to worry about you if you don't pick up your phone.

You're watching Merlin when you hear the Hub's phone. You wish you could pick up, but you can't in case it's Saxon. You know Jack calls at some point, but you're not sure if it's now. You sigh, and close your eyes. You close your laptop and prepare to go to bed. You're going to be sleeping in Jack's bunker. Since he's not here and you'd be sleeping on the couch otherwise. Before you go to bed, you decide to watch the news again. It's the Master.

"Britain, Britain, Britain." He starts. "What extraordinary times we've had. Just a few years ago, this world was so small. And then they came, out of the unknown, falling from the skies. You've seen it happen." They show clips according to his words. "Big Ben destroyed. A spaceship over London. All those ghosts and metal men. The Christmas star that came to kill." The scene shifts and it's the Master again. "Time and time again, and the government told you nothing. Well, not me. Not Harold Saxon. Because my purpose here today is to tell you this. Citizens of Great Britain, I have been contacted." You clench your fists. "A message for humanity, from beyond the stars." A sphere appears on the screen, and it speaks, with a female voice.

"People of the Earth, we come in peace. We bring great gifts."

"Liar!" Since you're alone at the Hub, you can allow yourself to yell at a screen.

"We bring technology and wisdom and protection. And all we ask in return is your friendship." You snort.

The Master reappears on the screen. "Ooo, sweet. And this species has identified itself. They are called the Toclafane."

"The Toclafane aren't alien! You made them up, you created them!"

"And tomorrow morning, they will appear. Not in secret, but to all of you. Diplomatic relations with a new species will begin. Tomorrow, we take our place in the universe. Every man, woman and child. Every teacher and chemist and lorry driver and farmer. Oh, I don't know, every medical student?"

"Son of a bitch!" You know he means Martha. "Leave them alone!" You shut off the TV—well, computer—in anger, then lockdown the Hub before you go to sleep. You're troubled, but you fall asleep as soon as your head hits the pillow. Tomorrow's going to be a long day.


	39. Sound of Drums: Day 2

**A/N: I wouldn't put an A/N on this****, let alone one as big as this one, **but I have reviews to reply to, so... Unless you reviewed in the last 24 hours, feel free to skip this part!

**scarlet phlame:**** Thank you for all your reviews! They made my day (because I stupidly decided to re-watch Doomsday so, yeah). For your first review... I'm having a hard time to decide whether you were expecting End of Days or Captain Jack Harkness (since that was chapter 35, I checked), but because of your next comment, I assume it's End of Days. When I first wrote it, I wasn't sure about what I was going to do except for one thing: Lucy and Jack are definitely not kissing. First, because, just like you, I'm a hardcore Janto shipper. Second, I see Lucy and Jack as friends, very good friends, but ultimately just friends. And no, I don't think it was bad that you were looking forward to that ep. It was pretty exciting when I first saw it and when I started the re-write I was kind of looking forward to writing it.**

**Now, for your second review: That is seriously how I would've reacted, had I been in Lucy's place. Because there's always something ending in most of the shows I watch. Supernatural, Doctor Who, Torchwood, Merlin—_everything._ So, it starts to become annoying (but I never complain because it's always _so exciting_!) Third review: Yup. And many people still died because of that. Lucy, even if I don't mention it much—or at all—, feels incredibly guilty because she kind of let it happen when she could've prevented it—at least so she thinks. Truth is, Bilis Manger would've found a way of opening the Rift, so... And about Owen killing Jack, it had to be done. Besides, Lucy doesn't get as moved as everyone by Jack's deaths because she knows for sure he's going to come back, so she doesn't worry much about it. Because that's how we see it when we watch him die in the episodes (well, at least how I see it, but I can't possibly be the only one), so it makes sense that she wouldn't be that worried.  
**

**And, finally, for your last review (I'm really sorry for the long A/N): The Year That Never Was :D For some reason, I was sure I wanted to include some Doctor Who episodes in this re-write because, a) Lucy started watching Doctor Who first; b) It's the same universe, and she was going to end up meeting the Doctor sooner or later, and I'd rather it to be sooner than later; c) I love Doctor Who too much to ignore it. I'm kind of nervous about this because I don't like how I wrote it. The transcript I used was very little descriptive, I couldn't remember well the places or what happened exactly in the episode and I was having some trouble with my computer so I couldn't watch the episode at the same time I wrote the chapters, so it might be too much dialogue or crappy sentences, mostly, so I'm sorry about that, but I hope it's not _too_ bad. And I also yell at my TV (or computer, same difference) all the time when I watch TV shows or movies. My family also thinks I'm crazy. _I_ think I'm crazy, but I'm not bothered about it, because I know I'm not the only one (my best friend does the same thing). Anyway, I hope you like this chapter!**

**Day 2.**

When you wake up, the first thing you see is that you got an email. You open it and a woman appears on screen. "If I haven't returned to my desk by twenty two hundred, this file will be emailed to Torchwood. Which means if you're watching this, then I'm... Anyway, the Saxon files are attached. But take a look at the Archangel document. That's when it all started. When Harry Saxon became Minister in charge of launching the Archangel Network." You turn it off. The computer, everything. You start to get angry, frustrated, and, most of all, scared. You know everything about the Master, how to stop him, what's going to happen to him, but you have no idea how to stay alive. As soon as Martha Jones passes through Cardiff—which, you hope, will be sooner rather than later—you'll join her and get to the Valiant with her, so you can remember. If that hasn't happened already and you haven't been killed in the process, that is.

You take a shower and dress up. You watch the news, to watch it all happen. Thank God you remembered to stock up the fridge. You eat some cereal while watching.

"And in just thirty seconds' time, we'll be going live to First Contact. It's been announced that Harold Saxon has invited President Winters to take the address." You shudder, having suddenly lost your appetite, but you force yourself to eat.

Then, the American president appears on screen. "My fellow Americans, patriots, people of the world. I stand before you today as ambassador for humanity, a role I will undertake with the utmost solemnity. Perhaps our Toclafane cousins can offer us much, but what is important is not that we gain material benefits, but that we learn to see ourselves anew. For as long as man has looked at the stars, he has wondered what mysteries they hold. Now we know we are not alone. No longer unique in the universe."

You roll your eyes at that ."We never were."

"And I ask you now, I ask of the human race, to join with me in welcoming our friends. I give you the Toclafane." Four spheres appear. "My name is Arthur Coleman Winters, President Elect of the United States of America, and designated representative of the United Nations. I welcome you to the planet Earth and its associated moon." You roll your eyes.

"Why would you mention the moon?"

"You're not the Master." One of the spheres with a male voice remarks.

"No shit, Sherlock." You say as you eat another spoonful of cereal.

"We like the Mister Master." A sphere with a female voice says.

"Mister Master?" You raise an eyebrow at that. It sounds stupid.

"We don't like you." Another voice with a male voice says.

"I can be master, if you so wish. I will accept mastery over you, if that is God's will." You roll your eyes at that.

"How the hell would that be God's will?"

"Man is stupid." The same sphere that said "We don't like you" remarks.

"Yep." You nod, eating another spoonful of cereal.

"Master is our friend." The first male sphere that spoke says.

"Where's my Master, pretty please?" The same female sphere asks.

Then, the Master saunters in. "Oh, all right then. It's me. Ta da! Sorry, sorry, I have this effect. People just get obsessed. Is it the smile? Is it the aftershave? Is it the capacity to laugh at myself? I don't know. It's crazy."

You snort at that. "_You're_ crazy."

"Saxon, what are you talking about?" Winters asks.

"I'm taking control, Uncle Sam, starting with you. Kill him." He orders. One of the spheres points its weapon at him and blasts him into pieces. The Master laughs when he's got guns pointed at him. "Guards." He says.

"Nobody move! Nobody move!" You can hear the guards say.

"Now then, peoples of the Earth. Please attend carefully." The Master says. You shut off the computer. It makes you sick, you have to stop. Otherwise, you'll throw up your breakfast. You can't force yourself to eat, not anymore, so you just bring the plate back to the kitchen and go back to the bunker. You don't sleep, but you need to think, and the bunker's dark enough to let you do that.

You know what happens next. And you also know that Martha'll go from London, to the west. Up until she's back in London again. So, you'll just have to be careful when you sneak out to meet her. If you have to travel with her for a year, risking your life, that's fine, you'll do just that. You sigh, and close your eyes. Why did this have to happen?

* * *

You get out of the bunker and check your mail. Nothing new. You don't know what's going on with the team and stuff. You just hope they're all right. But then again, when is everything all right?


	40. Last of the Time Lords: Day 1 (sort of)

**A/N: Again, replying reviews. Unless you're scarlet phlame, you skip this.**

**It's true. A year is a very long time. But I'm not going to go into what happened unless it's a few mentions 'cause I don't want to stray too much from canon. And while Lucy doesn't seem to change much, there are a few things. She's a bit more extreme. Sometimes she shows no mercy, sometimes she does. She's still cheery and still doesn't seem to take anything seriously, but she's not so cheery inside. Because of all that's happened during the year. Japan and all that.**

**About Jack, yeah, it might probably be that. And I agree with John Barrowman, I think Jack loved both Rose and the Doctor equally.**

**Well, Lucy doesn't seem to do much during the year—and, in a way, she doesn't. But she keeps Martha company, because things have changed (the Doctor did appear sooner than in the shows) so she wants to make sure Martha won't go through all that hell all alone, because while she became stronger, I don't believe that experience was completely good for her. Well, I won't say anything else, you'll see for yourself. And the Doctor can be annoying sometimes, I completely agree with you on that. He just chooses the wrong words to say what he really means and ends up saying something else entirely.**

**Lucy does try to say a few things about the Doctor, but she knows it's Martha's moment, so she's basically just there to accompany her. And yeah, I'd probably be dead too in the first few adventures. And you're not the only one who obsess over fictional characters and has a non-existant love life. I can completely relate :D**

**If the Master found about Lucy... I'm not sure I want to know what happens xDD But I would definitely make him into a fanboy. That would be hilarious, _especially_ if he becomes a Merthur shipper. He and Lucy would become, like, best friends xD And don't apologise! I love reviews, especially when they're long! And of course I reply reviews. I mean, if people took the time to comment on this story, the least I can do (besides updating) is answering their comments. Hope you like this chapter!**

**A year later.**

You and Martha get out of the boat. As soon as you're out, it leaves. Martha turns to the guy.

"What's your name, then?" She asks him.

"Tom Milligan. No need to ask who you are. The famous Martha Jones and her friend Lucy Blake. How long since you were last in Britain?"

"Three hundred and sixty-five days." You answer. "A very long year."

"So what's the plan?" Tom asks.

"This Professor Docherty. We need to see her. Can you get us there?" Martha asks.

"She works in a repair shed, Nuclear Plant Seven. I can get you inside. What's all this for? What's so important about her?" Tom questions.

"Sorry but the more you know, the more you're at risk." You shake your head.

"There's a lot of people depending on you. You're a bit of a legend." Tom says.

"What does the legend say?" You ask, out of curiosity.

"That you sailed the Atlantic, walked across America. That you were the only person to get out of Japan alive. Martha Jones, they say, she's going to save the world. Bit late for that." Tom said. "They don't say much about you, though." He tells you.

You shrug, not really caring. You three walk up to a van. "How come you can drive? Don't you get stopped?" Martha asks

"Medical staff. Used to be in paediatrics back in the old days. But that gives me a licence to travel so I can help out other the labour camps." Tom explains.

"Great. I'm travelling with a doctor." She mutters to herself, but you hear her and chuckle.

"Bit ironic, isn't it?" You ask. Martha cracks a smile but doesn't answer. Tom's confused, but knows better than to ask for an explanation.

"Story goes that you're the only person on Earth who can kill him. That you, and you alone, can kill the Master stone dead." Tom tells Martha.

"Just drive." She dismisses it. And you understand. Why would she want to think about that, when it's not the plan at all? It took some convincing at first, and you had to prove to Martha that you knew the plan. You didn't tell her you were from another universe, but you did tell her that you worked for Torchwood, and wanted to help her. That you knew about the Doctor and suspected that he would never send one of his companions to kill, and you were smart enough to figure out the plan—when in reality as soon as the Doctor revealed the plan you were so surprised your eyes widened and you started shouting _Oh. Oh! _because it all made sense.

You drive away, and at some point you stop, next to some rocks. There's a giant statue of the Master above some rocks. You exit the van.

"All over the Earth, those things. He's even carved himself into Mount Rushmore." Martha comments.

"Yeah. I think he loves himself more than anything." You add.

"Best to keep down. Here we go. The entire south coast of England, converted into shipyards. They bring in slave labour every morning. Break up cars, houses, anything, just for the metal. Building a fleet out of scrap." Tom explains.

There's a fleet of space rockets, all around. "You should see Russia. That's Shipyard Number One. All the way from the Black Sea to the Bering Strait, there's a hundred thousand rockets getting ready for war." You comment.

"War? With who?" Tom asks.

"The rest of the universe. I've been out there, Tom, in space, before all this happened, and there's a thousand different civilisations all around us with no idea of what's happening here. The Master can build weapons big enough to devastate them all." Martha answers.

"You've been in space?" Tom asks Martha.

"Problem with that?"

"No. No, just er, wow. Anything else I should know?" You can't help but chuckle at his reply.

"I've met Shakespeare." Martha admits.

Two spheres approach you, and you can't help but grab your TARDIS necklace in your hands. When you bought it, you didn't know it had the same properties as the TARDIS key, probably because you bought it back in your universe, but in this one, it has this property. That's because you have earrings with the shape of sonic screwdrivers that work in this universe but are less powerful than the Doctor's, mostly because they're smaller and not from here. That's how you sonicked your TARDIS necklace into turning you unnoticeable, but you're still nervous every time you use it, because you're not sure if you did it right. You're currently wearing both the earrings and the necklace, and you have to admit that those earrings turned out to be quite useful.

"Identify, little man." One of the spheres says.

"I've got a licence. Thomas Milligan, Peripatetic Medical Squad. I'm allowed to travel. I was just checking for—" Before he can improvise, the sphere interrupts him.

"Soon the rockets will fly, and everyone will need medicine. You'll be so busy." The spheres fly away laughing, and you release a breath you didn't know you were holding.

Tom turns to look at you two. "But they didn't see you." He stammers. Both you and Martha hold up your necklaces.

"How do you think we travelled the world?" Martha asks, and you start walking back to the van. "Because the Master set up Archangel, that mobile network, fifteen satellites around the planet, but really it's transmitting this low level psychic field. That's how everyone got hypnotised into thinking he was Harold Saxon."

"Saxon… Feels like years ago." Tom says.

"But the key's tuned in to the same frequency. Makes us sort of not invisible, just unnoticeable." Martha explains.

"Well, I can see you."

"That's because you wanted to."

"Yeah, I suppose I did." He admits.

"Is there a Mrs. Milligan?" Martha asks.

"No. No. What about you?" He asks her.

"There used to be someone. A long time ago. Come on, we've got to find this Docherty woman." Martha says.

"We'll have to wait until the next work shift. What time is it now?" He asks.

"Nearly three." You answer.

* * *

Next thing you know, Tom's driven you to the place, and you're in a workstation, with an old woman who's working on a TV.

"Professor Docherty?"

"Busy." The woman replies.

"They, er, they sent word ahead. I'm Tom Milligan. This is Martha Jones and Lucy Blake." He introduces you.

"They can be the Queens of Sheba for all I care. I'm still busy." The woman adds.

"Televisions don't work anymore." Martha says.

"Oh God, I miss Countdown. Never been the same since Des took over. Both Deses. What's the plural for Des? Desi? Deseen? But we've been told there's going to be a transmission from the man himself." She says. And just as she does, the television turns on. "There!"

"My people. Salutations on this, the eve of war. Lovely woman. But I know there's all sorts of whispers down there. Stories of a child, walking the Earth, giving you hope. But I ask you. How much hope has this man got? Say hello, Gandalf. Except he's not that old, but he's an alien with a much greater lifespan than you stunted little apes. But what if it showed? What if I suspend your capacity to regenerate? All nine hundred years of your life, Doctor. What if we could see them?" The Master turns and zaps the Doctor. He becomes a very strange, old creature, his 900 years showing, not exactly looking like Gandalf, as the Master had called him. More like Gollum. "Older and older and older. Down you go, Doctor. Down, down, down the years. Doctor. Received and understood, Miss Jones? And whoever you're travelling with?" And the transmission ends.

"I'm sorry." Tom says.

"The Doctor's still alive." Martha says.

"And he'll be alive for a while." You add.

"Obviously the Archangel Network would seem to be the Master's greatest weakness. Fifteen satellites all around the Earth, still transmitting. That's why there's so little resistance. It's broadcasting a telepathic signal that keeps people scared." Professor Docherty says.

"We could just take them out." Tom suggests.

"We could. Fifteen ground to air missiles. You got any on you? Besides, any military action, the Toclafane descend." She points out, and you've got to admit she has a point.

"They're not called Toclafane. That's a name the Master made up." You correct.

"Then what are they, then?" Professor Docherty asks.

You shake your head. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you. And in case you would, it's too horrible to say it."

"How do you know?" Martha asks you. You sigh.

"I know a lot of things, most of which I shouldn't, and it's the reason why I'm at risk all the time. I'm lucky to work at Torchwood. At least I used to…" You trail off. You've got no idea what happened to the team. With a bit of luck, the Master doesn't know Gwen started working for Torchwood, so only Tosh, Owen and Ianto would be in trouble… You blink back tears.

"Anyway, the reason we came to find you was this." Martha holds up a computer disc.

"Know your enemy." You comment.

"No one's been able to look at a sphere close up. They can't even be damaged, except once. The lightning strike in South Africa brought one of them down, just by chance. I've got the readings on this." Martha gives the disc to the professor, who puts it in the computer and struggles at reading the data.

"Oh, whoever thought we'd miss Bill Gates." She complains.

"So is that why you travelled the world? To find a disc?" Tom asks.

"Nah, we just got lucky." You answer.

"I heard stories that you walked the Earth to find a way to build a weapon. There! A current of fifty eight point five kiloamperes transferred charge of five hundred and ten megajoules precisely." The professor says.

"That's a lot." You mumble under your breath.

"Can you recreate that?" Tom asks.

"I think so. Easily. Yes." Professor Docherty answers.

"Right then, Doctor Milligan, we're going to get us a sphere." Martha says. Tom goes outside and fires three times and a sphere starts chasing him.

"He's coming. You ready?" You ask the professor.

"You do your job, I'll do mine!" She says. Just then, Tom runs in.

"Now!" Tom shouts.

The sphere gets caught in an electrical field in a passageway, and it drops to the ground a few moments later.

"That's only half the job. Let's find out what's inside." Professor Docherty says. You wince, but say nothing. They need to know, and you don't want to be the one to tell them.

They move the sphere to the table, and the professor is trying to open the sphere.

"There's some sort of magnetic clamp. Hold on, I'll just trip the—" She cuts herself off as the sphere opens. You feel sick, just by looking at it. "Oh my God!" The head inside the sphere opens its eyes, and you all jump back. "It's alive." She remarks.

"Martha. Martha Jones." The head says.

"It knows you." Tom notices.

"Sweet, kind Martha Jones. You helped us to fly." The sphere says.

"What do you mean?" Martha asks, still confused.

"You led us to salvation." You remember him as the kid from Utopia, and you feel like throwing up. You close your eyes, and take a deep breath, but it doesn't help.

"Who are you?" Martha asks.

"The skies are made of diamonds." Tears start to well up in your eyes, but you blink them away.

"No. You can't be him." Martha denies it. You wish it weren't. You really do.

"We share each other's memories. You sent him to Utopia." The head in the sphere says.

"Oh, my God!" You put a hand on Martha's shoulder, to comfort her, even though you're feeling sick yourself.

"What's it talking about? What's it mean?" Tom asks.

"What are they?" The professor asks.

"Martha. Martha, tell us. What are they?" Tom pushes.

"They're us. They're humans. The human race from the future." Martha breathes out. "I'd sort of worked it out with the paradox machine, because the Doctor said, on the day before the Master came to power, he said that the Master had the TARDIS, this time machine, but the only other place he could go was the end of the universe, so he found Utopia. The Utopia Project was the last hope. Trying to find a way to escape the end of everything. " She explains.

"There was no solution, no diamonds. Just the dark and the cold." The head says.

"Well, it _was_ the end of the universe. What did you expect?" You ask softly. The sphere doesn't answer.

Instead, it says, "But then the Master came with his wonderful time machine to bring us back home."

"But that's a paradox. If you're the future of the human race, and you've come back to murder your ancestors, you should cancel yourselves out. You shouldn't exist." Professor Docherty points out.

"And that's why the TARDIS was turned into a paradox machine." You explain.

"But what about us? We're the same species. Why do you kill so many of us?" Tom asks.

"Because it's fun!" The sphere replies, and it reminds you of "Countrycide" so much you have to force yourself not to throw up. Tom's visibly as troubled as you are, because he pulls out his gun and shoots the head.

"I think it's time we had the truth, Miss Jones, Miss Blake. The legend says you've travelled the world to find a way of killing the Master. Tell us, is it true?"

You look at Martha, ready to follow her instructions.

"Just before I escaped, the Doctor told me. The Doctor and the Master, they've been coming to Earth for years. And they've been watched. There's UNIT and Torchwood, all studying Time Lords in secret. And they made this, the ultimate defence." You know it's not true, but you've got to make them believe it is. So you don't say anything and watch as Martha opens a case to reveal "_the_ gun".

"All you need to do is get close. I can shoot the Master dead with this." Tom says, pointing the gunlike device in the case with his own gun, and you realize how deep Tom's hatred for the Master is. Honestly? You don't blame him. Not a bit.

Professor Docherty pushes Tom's hand away. "Actually, you can put that down now, thank you very much."

"Point is, it's not so easy to kill a Time Lord. They can regenerate. Literally bring themselves back to life." Martha explains.

"They cheat death." You add. "So easily."

"Ah, the Master's immortal. Wonderful." The professor says sarcasitcally.

"Except for this. Four chemicals, slotted into the gun. Inject him. Kills a Time Lord permanently." Martha lies.

"Four chemicals? You've only got three." Tom remarks.

"Still need the last one, because the components of this gun were kept safe, scattered across the world, and we found them. San Diego, Beijing, Budapest and London." Martha explains.

"Then where is it?" Tom asks.

"There's an old UNIT base, north London. We've found the access codes. Tom, you've got to get us there." Martha tells him.

"We can't get across London in the dark. It's full of wild dogs. We'll get eaten alive. We can wait till the morning, then go with the medical convoy." Tom proposes.

"You can spend the night here, if you like." Professor Docherty invites you, but you know it's a terrible idea, so you shake your head.

"No, we can get halfway, stay at the slave quarters in Bexley. Professor, thank you." You refuse her offer.

"And you. Good luck." She says.

"Thanks." You and Martha say at the same time.

"Could you do it? Could you actually kill him?" The professor asks.

You and Martha exchange a look. Then you look back at the professor. "We've got no choice." Martha says.

"You might be many things, but you don't look like a killer to me. Neither of you do." Professor Docherty says.

"When the world's at war, everyone becomes a killer, whether it's to save their own skin or someone they care about." You reply.

* * *

You, Tom and Martha dodge a patrol, and Tom knocks at a door. "Let me in. It's Milligan." He says.

The door opens, and you see the place is completely full—you'll be lucky if you can enter at all. But you do.

A woman asks, "Did you bring food?"

"Couldn't get any, and I'm starving." Tom answers.

"All we've got is water." The woman says.

"I'm sorry." You and Martha say.

"It's cheaper than building barracks. Pack them in, a hundred in each house, ferry them off to the shipyards every morning." Tom explains.

"Are you Martha Jones?" A boy asks Martha.

"Yeah, that's me."

"Can you do it? Can you kill him? They said you can kill the Master, can you? Tell us you can do it. Please, tell us you can do it." The boy pleads.

"Who is the Master?" The woman asks, and then everyone starts speaking at once, and it kind of hurts your head.

"Come on, just leave her alone. She's exhausted." Tom protests.

"No, it's all right. They want me to talk, and I will." Martha says, and you can't help but smile at that.

* * *

"I travelled across the world, from the ruins of New York to the fusion mills of China, right across the radiation pits of Europe. And everywhere I went, I saw people just like you, living as slaves. But if Martha Jones became a legend, then that's wrong, because my name isn't important. There's someone else. The man who sent me out there. The man who told me to walk the Earth. And his name is the Doctor. He has saved your lives so many times, and you never even knew he was there. He never stops. He never stays. He never asks to be thanked. But I've seen him. I know him. I love him. And I know what he can do." Martha tells her story. You know what she did, and you've heard her say this story so many times, but it never gets boring. Because it's true. You don't understand how people can hate Martha. She's a brilliant girl, she's saved the Doctor so many times, and believed in him even when everything seemed lost. And you've spent a year together. That's enough for you to get to know each other enough to have become close friends.

"It's him! It's him! Oh my God, it's him! It's the Master. He's here." A woman exclaims.

"But he never comes to Earth. He never walks upon the ground." A boy says.

"Hide her!" The woman points to Martha.

"Use this." Tom gives her an old sack to cover herself, and she does.

"Martha. Martha Jones. I can see you! Out you come, little girl. Come and meet your master. Anybody? Nobody? No? Nothing? Positions. I'll give the order unless you surrender. Ask yourself. What would the Doctor do?" The Master taunts her. Martha takes off the TARDIS key and goes outside, and you follow her, having taken off your TARDIS necklace as well, and put it in one of your black leather jacket's pockets. You stand by Martha when she stops in front of the Master. "Oh, yes. Oh, very well done. Good girl. He trained you well. Bag. Give me the bag. No, stay there. Just throw it." Martha does as she's told. The Master shoots the backpack with his laser screwdriver. "And now, good companion, your work is done." He points at Martha with his laser.

"No!" Tom runs out of the house, and the Master kills him instead, and laughs. You clench your fists.

"But you, when you die, the Doctor should be witness, hmm? Almost dawn, Martha, and planet Earth marches to war." Then he turns to you. "Don't think you're saved. Lucy Blake, correct? If the Doctor will watch Martha die, then I can assure you Jack will see you die as well." The Master laughs again.

* * *

The guards bring you and Martha in as soon as the Master calls them. The Doctor has never seen you before, not that you know anyway, but Jack has—obviously—and as soon as he sees you, his eyes widen. You look at him, and mouth, "Hello."

"Your teleport device, in case you thought I'd forgotten." The Master asks Martha, though it's more of an order than a question. Martha throws Jack's vortex manipulator to the Master. You resist the urge to tell him that it's not called a teleport device but a vortex manipulator. You bite the inside of your cheek so you stay quiet. "And now, kneel. Down below, the fleet is ready to launch. Two hundred thousand ships set to burn across the universe. Are we ready?"

"The fleet awaits your signal. Rejoice!" A man says.

"Three minutes to align the black hole converters. Counting down. I never could resist a ticking clock. My children, are you ready?" He asks the spheres.

"We will fly and blaze and slice. We will fly and blaze and slice." One sphere answers.

"At zero, to mark this day, the child Martha Jones, will die. My first blood. Any last words? No? Such a disappointment, this one. Days of old, Doctor, you had companions who could absorb the time vortex. This one's useless. Bow your head. And so it falls to me, as Master of all, to establish from this day, a new order of Time Lords. From this day forward—" He interrupts himself when he hears Martha laughing softly. You know why she's laughing, and her laugh is so contagious that you start laughing as well, though a bit louder. "What?" The Master asks, confused and a bit frustrated that he's not being taken seriously. "What's so funny?"

"A gun." You answer.

"What about it?" He asks, confused.

"A gun in four parts." You continue. Martha's still laughing, and you are too.

"Yes, and I destroyed it." The Master says, confused.

"A gun in four parts scattered across the world? I mean, come on, did you really believe that?" Martha asks, incredulous.

"He totally did." You snicker.

"What do you mean?" The Master frowns.

"As if I would ask her to kill." The Doctor retorts.

"Oh well, it doesn't matter. I've got her exactly where I want her." You can't help but roll your eyes at the Master's words.

"But I knew what Professor Docherty would do. The Resistance knew about her son." Martha replies.

"Seriously, this is a bit like France during World War II." You mumble.

"We told her about the gun, so she'd get us here at the right time." Martha explains.

"Oh, but you're still going to die." The Master says.

"He can be so daft sometimes." You mumble to yourself. You're lucky you say it low enough for just Martha to hear you. She suppresses a chuckle.

"Don't you want to know what I was doing, travelling the world?" She asks.

"Tell me." The Master says.

"I told a story, that's all. No weapons, just words. I did just what the Doctor said. I went across the continents, and I would've gone all on my own if Lucy hadn't insisted on joining me." She gives you a grateful look, before continuing. "And everywhere we went, we found the people, and I told them my story. I told them about the Doctor. And I told them to pass it on, to spread the word so that everyone would know about the Doctor."

"Faith and hope? Is that all?" The Master sounds bored and unimpressed.

"No, because I gave them an instruction, just as the Doctor said." Martha replies. "I told them that if everyone thinks of one word, at one specific time—"

"Nothing will happen. Is that your weapon? Prayer?" The Master interrupts her, looking exasperated, and you seriously want to facepalm. How can he be so stupid? How could he ever get to be Prime Minister if he's so bloody stupid?

"Right across the world, in word, just one thought at one moment but with fifteen satellites." Martha adds.

"What?" The Master asks. _God, he's so slow!_ You can't help but think.

"The Archangel Network." You and Jack say at the same time, and when you do, you glance at him, a bit surprised. He looks so dirty… He's covered in dirt and blood. His own blood. But then again, he's been tortured and killed so many times during this past year…

"A telepathic field binding the whole human race together, with all of them, every single person on Earth, thinking the same thing at the same time. And that word is Doctor." Martha finishes. The countdown marks zero, and the Doctor and his cage start to glow.

"Stop it. No, no, no, no, you don't." The Master's face falls.

"Doctor. Doctor." Jack says.

"Doctor." Martha's mom, Francine, says.

"Don't." The Master says.

"Doctor. Doctor. Doctor." The crowd on the monitor says.

"Stop this right now. Stop it!" The Master starts to get desperate.

"Doctor." Lucy, the Master's wife, says.

"Doctor." Jack says again.

"Doctor." Martha says.

"Doctor." You say.

"Doctor." The crowd repeats.

"Doctor." You say with them.

"I've had a whole year to tune myself into the psychic network and integrate with its matrices." The Doctor explains.

"I order you to stop!" The Master exclaims. You don't stop thinking _Doctor, Doctor, Doctor._

"Doctor. Doctor." The crowd says. "Doctor. Doctor."

"Doctor." Lucy and you say.

"The one thing you can't do. Stop them thinking." The Doctor says, finally back to his young Ten-ish self. He's back in his brown pinstriped suit with his white converse, and you can't help but break into a smile, but never stop thinking. He doesn't stop glowing. "Tell me the human race is degenerate now, when they can do this." Martha runs to Francine and Tish, her sister, to hug them both. You run to Jack, and hug him, not caring whether he's dirty or not. He's smiling, almost laughing, and you can't help but be happy, because the torture's almost over.

"No!" The Master fires at the Doctor with his laser screwdriver, but the energy field around the Doctor stops the laser from getting through.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." The Doctor apologizes.

"Then I'll kill them." The Master threatens. The Doctor moves his hand and the laser screwdriver flies away from the Master's hand. "You can't do this. You can't do it. It's not fair!" _What about what you did? What about all those people you killed? Was that fair? _You want to ask him, but you don't. You stay quiet.

"And you know what happens now." The Doctor says calmly.

"No! No! No! No!" The Master panics.

"You wouldn't listen." The Doctor floats toward the Master.

"No!"

"Because you know what I'm going to say." The Doctor says, and it's obvious the Master dreads those words so much, he'd rather die before hearing them.

"No." He breathes one last time, as he curls into a ball in a corner. The Doctor stops floating, and the energy field vanishes, and he hugs the Master.

"I forgive you."

If anything, this makes you respect the Doctor so much. He's seen what the Master has done. Killed a thousand people, tortured and killed Jack all over again, had him prisoner, wants to conquer the universe, and still, even though he claimed this regeneration was the kind of man that didn't allow second chances, he still forgave the Master. Because he was the last one of his race, and because, true to his name, the Doctor wants to _help _him, and you can't help it when tears well up in your eyes. You blink them away, but that doesn't take away the respect you feel for the Doctor right now.

"My children." The Master says.

"Protect the paradox. Protect the paradox. Protect the paradox." The spheres say.

The Doctor leaves the Master and stands up, running toward Jack.

"Captain, the paradox machine!" He screams.

"You men, with me! You stay here." The last bit goes for you, Martha and her family.

The Doctor spots The Master activating Jack's vortex manipulator and grabs it. "No!" And they teleport away.

"We've all six billion spheres heading right for us." Martha says.

"That, we do." You nod, grimly.

What comes next happens so quickly, you've barely got time to register what happens. The spheres disappear and the Master and the Doctor appear back in the Valiant's flight deck. The ship shakes, papers are flying everywhere, and Martha gets thrown into the Doctor's arms.

"Everyone get down! Time is reversing!" The Doctor shouts, and you know better than to defy his orders. You throw yourself to the ground, and hope you won't get sucked away. You don't know what's happening around you, and you only look up when everything's stopped shaking. "The paradox is broken! We've reverted back, one year and one day! Two minutes past eight in the morning." The Doctor explains.

"This is UNIT Central. What's happened up there? We just saw the President assassinated." You hear a man's voice.

"Just after the President was killed, but just before the spheres arrived. Everything back to normal. Planet Earth restored. None of it happened. The rockets, the terror. It never was." The Doctor says.

"What about the spheres?" Martha asks.

"Trapped at the end of the universe." The Doctor answers.

"But I can remember it." Francine points out.

"We're at the eye of the storm. The only ones who'll ever know. Oh, hello! You must be Mister Jones! We haven't actually met." He runs to shake Martha's dad's hand. And then turns to you. "And Lucy Blake! Hello again!" He exclaims a little too brightly, and you can't help but smile at him, because you've dreamed so many times about travelling with him, and here he is. The Doctor, in all his glory.

And then you catch his words. "Again?" So he _has_ met you before.

"Oh, right, I mean, nice to meet you!" The Doctor still beams at you, and you can't help but chuckle at him.

The Master makes a run for the door just as Jack comes in, and catches him. "Whoa, big fella! You don't want to miss the party. Cuffs. So, what do we do with this one?"

"We kill him." Clive, Martha's dad, answers.

"We execute him." Tish says.

The Doctor frowns. "No, that's not the solution."

Francine points a gun at the Master. "Oh, I think so. Because all those things, they still happened because of him. I saw them."

"Go on. Do it." The Master taunts her.

"Francine, you're better than him." It takes a while, but the Doctor gets her to lower the gun, and he hugs her, before giving her to Martha.

"You still haven't answered the question. What happens to me?" The Master demands.

"You're my responsibility from now on. The only Time Lord left in existence." The Doctor says.

"Yeah, but you can't trust him." Jack points out, as he moves from the Master's side to the Doctor's, and you have to admit that he's right.

"No. The only safe place for him is the TARDIS." The Doctor reasons.

"You mean you're just going to keep me?" The Master asks.

"Mmm. If that's what I have to do. It's time to change. Maybe I've been wandering for too long. Now I've got someone to care for." The Doctor seems actually like he likes this concept. You feel sorry for him, and just then, Lucy—not you, the other Lucy, the Master's wife—points the gun at her husband and fires. The Doctor catches him as he staggers back.

"Put it down." Jack orders Lucy.

"There you go. I've got you. I've got you." The Doctor says.

"Always the women." The Master says, and you roll your eyes at that.

"I'm not excusing her, just explaining but, you physically abused her. This is not just because of what happened during the Year That Never Was. It's also personal." You point out.

"I didn't see her." The Doctor says as an apology, ignoring you.

"Dying in your arms. Happy now?" The Master asks. You start to understand why some people in the fandom ship the Doctor and the Master. Not that you ship it. At least not yet. That's happened to you before: you don't ship a ship, and then you change your mind.

"You're not dying. Don't be stupid. It's only a bullet. Just regenerate." The Doctor pleads.

"No." The Master refuses.

"One little bullet. Come on." The Doctor pleads.

"I guess you don't know me so well. I refuse."

"Regenerate. Just regenerate. Please. Please! Just regenerate. Come on." The Doctor's despairing.

"And spend the rest of my life imprisoned with you?" The Master asks.

You remember Chameleon Circuit's song about the Master, and you start mumbling the lyrics to yourself. "It would be hell for me, imprisoned here forever with you."

"You've got to. Come on. It can't end like this. You and me, all the things we've done. Axons. Remember the Axons? And the Daleks. We're the only two left. There's no one else. Regenerate!" The Doctor shouts. He's crying, and you can't help the tears in your eyes, again.

"Can you hear them? They're calling." You sing quietly.

"How about that. I win. Will it stop, Doctor? The drumming. Will it stop?" Those are the Master's final words. You can't help but look away.

"They're in the signal, they're in my head." You don't want to keep going, so after that, you stop. Everything goes quiet around you. Not a sound can be heard across the room. The Doctor cradles him. He's closed his eyes, and is trying hard not to start sobbing. He holds the Master close to him, and yells, "No!" into the Master's hair.

The scene breaks your heart. You've seen what the Master did, you heard it, you _lived _it. And yet, you can't help but be sorry when you watch the Doctor completely heart-broken. Like the song says, _Last of the time lords once again._

* * *

Later, you say goodbye to the Doctor, Martha and Jack. You're leaving before Jack, since he's going to spend a little while with the Doctor, before coming back. And the Doctor isn't exactly good at driving the TARDIS.

"Well, it was nice to see you again, Jack. Hope to see you soon." You hug him.

"Same. How's it going? Is everyone okay?" He asks, worried.

"Yeah, sort of. It's been a bit rough, you know, because of Abaddon…" You trail off. Then pause, before asking, "Did you see them die?"

Jack pauses before answering. "Tosh and Owen were first. Then, a month before… You know. It was Ianto." You wince at that. It also proves your theory that the Master didn't know about Gwen.

"Well, they're all right now, aren't they?" You try to cheer him up.

"Yeah." Jack smiles. Then you turn to Martha. You hug her as well.

"I'm going to miss you." You tell her.

"Me too. Who's going to hear me rant about the Doctor?" She asks and you laugh at that.

"I bet you'll find someone." You smile at her, then turn to the Doctor. You're still pretty excited that you actually got to meet him. _In person._

"Lucy Blake. The girl from a parallel universe." The Doctor says.

In a very Doctor manner, you hold up your arm and move your fingers, as a greeting, "Yep, that's me. Hello." You grin. "I'm assuming Jack told you?" You raise an eyebrow. "Or did I tell you, because you've clearly met me before."

"What? Oh, no, Jack told me." The Doctor nods, in a way that clearly means he's lying. "I've never met you before in my life."

You laugh at that. "Well, it was nice to meet you, Doctor." You say, being completely honest. "And I hope you keep in touch. Jack was very desperate to find you. He waited for so long… Though Rory waited longer. Never mind." You dismiss it.

"Who's Rory?" The Doctor asks.

"Spoilers." You quote River Song. "Anyway, I better leave. Gotta catch the bus to Cardiff. I'll see if I can see Emma first, though."

"Say 'Hi' to her for me." Jack asks.

"All right, I will." You smile, then start walking away. You turn back and wave at the three of them. "Bye!" And you head off.

* * *

You call Emma, meet up, and talk for a few hours. She tells you how well she's doing, how she's made new friends and how she has a boyfriend. You tell her how things are going well at work and with your boyfriend, you tell her pretty much the happiest parts of your life during the past few months. You also tell her Jack asked you to say hi to her for him, and she was happy to hear that you aren't the only one who remembers her.

Next thing you do is buy the first ticket to Cardiff, and as soon as you get there, you go back to the Hub, to check everything's still all right. Then, you pick up your stuff and you leave.

So many people died when the Master was in charge, but now no one knows what happened to him, and it should stay that way. You break into a smile. So what if you're in the middle of the street? Everything's looking up. And that's a good thing. A damn good thing. And now that season 2's closer from happening, you can see the changes you want to make, and you're sure that this time, you'll do anythnig to help, because you saw how much it hurt Jack to lose Owen, Tosh and Ianto, and you don't want him to go through that again. Because he doesn't deserve it. No one does.


	41. Last of the Time Lords: Bonus Chapter

**A/N: Again, replying reviews. If you haven't reviewed, you can skip this.**

**scarlet**** phlame: I've got that same headcanon! Waitwaitwaitwait, hold on a sec, you've got a vortex manipulator? You're so lucky! And you do? I actually found that necklace on polyvore ('cause that's were I make the outfits for Lucy that I have stopped describing) so I decided, hey, if she's going to meet the Doctor, she should have some Doctor Who merch on (on the outfit I made, she was wearing a TARDIS T-shirt). And, same as you, I probably wouldn't survive the year, but hey, since it reversed, we'd probably still be alive! :D Yeah, anyone can travel with the Doctor, but if they do really stupid stuff (like Adam) you can bet you'll be back at home before you know it. And I don't really hate Gwen, partly because I think Eve Myles is awesome and because I like Gwen's personality, but in the first couple of seasons I hate many of her actions. And I think they handled her character badly, because, I remember in "Reset" she asked what UNIT was because she got confused with so many organisations, but someone who's committed to their job wouldn't have forgotten that. She could've asked, I don't know, "UNIT were the guys with the red caps that also deal with aliens, right?" or something.**

**You're Japanese? That's so cool. I want to learn so many languages and Japanese is one of them. I don't live anywhere near Japan either but I have a few Japanese friends, but it didn't affect me that much (partly because I was half-asleep when they first mentioned it so I didn't really get it and because when I did find out what it said, I already knew that time would reset itself so I wasn't worried). And I have no idea what those last words you said were but I can definitely guess xDD I hope you like this chapter. It's really short but... Well, I am posting a chapter every day (even though yesterday was a bit late but I was having a Lord of the Rings marathon with a few friends so, it's a very good excuse (?)). Again, I hope you like it, and thanks for reviewing!**

**JenniFromTheBak:**** Thank you! I'm so glad you love this story! It means a lot. And I update pretty much every day so you won't have to wait long :D (Though I only update everyday because I'm halfway through season 2, so...) Anyway, I hope you like this chapter, even if it's short. Thanks for reviewing!**

**The Sound of Drums/Last of the Time Lords.**

Oh, Jack hated it. The smell, the dim light of the room. And the pain. The pain was the worse. The Master was definitely crazy, a psycopath. Or a sociopath, Jack had too much of a headache to think about it well. Besides, he'd never been one to label people.

But what Jack felt toward the Master was pure, deep hatred. And it wasn't just because he'd captured Jack and enjoyed torturing and killing him every day, or because he'd killed thousands of innocent people for no reason at all. It was because he used every opportunity he could to tease Jack about his team. At first, he kept him in the dark. Then, he captured Owen and Tosh, and killed them in front of him. Jack had been watching, helpless, and it hurt him more than any death he'd had before.

Then, the Master had decided to keep him updated, about how Ianto's capture was going. Jack hated every moment of it, and even though he didn't believe in any sort of God, he prayed for Ianto to be all right.

But, of course, one month before the Doctor's plan took place, they captured him. The Master came in, all joy and sunshine, and Jack would've killed him at that moment if he could.

And the worse part, started. Ianto's death wasn't like the others. It wasn't quick, it wasn't just to hurt Jack. Because the Master knew what would hurt Jack more. So they tortured him. Right in front of him, and the Master was delighted to hear both Ianto's and Jack's screams. And then, he just killed Ianto, and walked away, as if bored already, his entertainment gone.

The only person of Jack's team that wasn't dead was Lucy. He wondered where she was, if she knew what would happen. If she did, he hoped she didn't know about Ianto dying, because that would've been another betrayal to add to the list. And that list was already too long.

Jack was left alone with his pain and grief, and honestly? Jack wouldn't have had it any other way. But of course, his moment of loneliness was short, and the torture and killing started once again.


	42. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang: Day 1

**Day 1.**

It's nighttime. You're following a blowfish on drugs who just stole a sportscar. Honestly, these blowfish should stop taking drugs. It doesn't do humans any good, why would it be different for them?

Owen's driving, and Tosh is on the passenger seat. Owen stops the car. "Okay, who asks the lady about the blowfish?" He whispers.

"I can do it." Gwen proposes. She's sitting besides you, at your left, while Ianto's at your right. Gwen rolls down the window to reveal an old woman. "Excuse me, have you seen a blowfish driving a sports car?" She asks. The question sounds so stupid, you want to laugh, but you can't so you fight to keep a straight face. The lady points at her left, which is straight ahead for you. "Thank you." Gwen says before rolling up the window and Owen drives away.

"Species not on record. DNA-type says some sort of land fish." Tosh informs.

"All I'm saying is, you are speeding—and there are children." It's not the first time since she's joined that Gwen's been complaining about Owen's driving. And she's right about that, Owen speeds all the time, and the children aren't the only ones that could get hurt.

"Well, if kids are out at midnight, they've got it coming." You can't help but chuckle at Owen's reply.

"Detecting high levels of algae." Tosh continues, professional as always.

"Who's afraid of the big scary fish, then?" You tease Owen.

"Big fish… With a gun!" Owen tries to defend himself. You chuckle at that.

"Special weapons?" Ianto asks Tosh.

"Not that I can see." Tosh answers. Ianto prepares his gun.

"Do _we_ need special weapons?" He asks.

"What are we gonna do when we catch it?" Owen asks.

"Jack would know." Tosh says softly.

"Well, Jack's not here, is he? Jack's gone. Fat lot of good Jack is." Owen replies, pissed. Not at Tosh, but at Jack. He's still pissed because he's gone, but you know what he's been through. You'd forgotten, but now that you've seen it…

"Who wants to make a bet?" You ask. "10 quid Jack gets back tonight."

Owen snorts. "I don't care if you're Miss Psychic, Jack left us and he isn't coming back."

"Just don't be too hard on him when he gets back. He's had… A hard time." You ask them.

"No promises." Owen grips the steering wheel tighter and keeps driving. You all fall into an uncomfortable silence.

"Blowfish!" Tosh suddenly exclaims, and Owen steps on the gas so hard, it makes the tyres screech.

"Hold on." He says as the SUV catches up with the red convertible. "Hold the wheel." Owen asks Tosh as he leaves on hand on the wheel while the other undoes his seatbelt.

"Owen—" Tosh starts but she's cut off by Owen's order.

"Hold the wheel!"

"Right, got it." Tosh does as she's asked. Owen rolls down the window and sits up out of it, and starts firing at the convertible. The first shot misses, the second hits the metal, and the third hits one of the wheels. The car veeres around the corner, not able to function well anymore.

Owen sits back down, and stops the car. Tosh is giving him a disapproving look, but he just looks smug. Ianto's the first one to exit the car, you following close behind. Tosh and Gwen exit at the same time while Owen's the last one out.

It's raining. You all approach the convertible, guns in your hands.

"Where is it? Where's it gone?" Gwen asks once you find it empty.

Two shots can be heard from one of the houses, and Owen immediately shouts, "Go! Go! Go!" As you all run toward it. "Lucy, Gwen, go left! Tosh, go right! Ianto, take center! Positions!" He orders. You just do as he says.

The blowfish is holding the daughter hostage, a gun pointed at her head. Gwen gets the mother aside, to safety, while you keep your gun on the blowfish. The husband's on the floor, choking because of the gunshot wounds. Owen takes his jacket off and stops the bleeding. Tosh and Ianto have got their guns pointed at the blowfish as well, only Tosh also has her scanner in her hand.

"Massive levels of adrenalin mixed with approximately three grams of cocaine. This fish is wired." She says.

"So this is Team Torchwood. The teacher's pets, but teacher's gone, hasn't he? Leaving the kiddy-kids all alone. And look at you, trying so hard to be all grown up." He looks at Owen. "The Doctor, with his hands full of blood." The worst part is that it not only relates to Owen but also the Doctor. You push that thought away. _Not the time._ Then he looks at you. "The Traveller, with her oh-so-powerful knowledge." Then at Toshiko. "The Technician, with her cold devices." He completely skips over Gwen, since she was never under Jack's orders. Instead, he stares at Ianto, and what he says next makes you want to punch him. "Which leaves me, with the Office Boy, promoted beyond his measure." Then he addresses all the team. The ones who got to work with Jack, anyway. "All of you... Lost without your master. All of you... Pretending to be so brave. All of you, so scared." He taunts, and you don't feel scared anymore. You've been through some tough shit during the Year That Never Was, and you'll never unsee what you saw, never mind if it was reversed. You just want to gank that blowfish right here and now. He laughs at you, and kisses the teenage girl on the cheek, breathing her in, and then turns to Ianto. "So, what about it, minion? Can you do it? How good are you? How sharp is your aim? What if you kill her?" He taunts. "What if I kill her first? Can you shoot, before I do? Can you? Dare you? Would you? Won't you?"

You hear a gunshot. The bullet hits the blowfish in the center of his forehead, and he falls to the ground, dead. The curtains behind him are splattered with blood and fish brains. It would've been sickening to you, but after the Year That Never Was, some blood and fish brains is nothing.

The mother pushes Gwen aside to check on her daughter. Ianto checks his gun, wondering if it fired itself before turning behind him, and just the fact that Ianto checked his gun makes you smile, because that means Jack's here. You turn around as well, to find Jack, his gun drawn out, smiling his typical Captain-Jack-Harkness smile.

"Hey kids," he says. "Did you miss me?"

* * *

"Are you sure no more like him came through?" Owen asks Tosh. You're back at the workstations. To be honest, Owen's been in charge all this time, but got some counseling from you since, with Jack gone, you're the one who knows more about some species. Except maybe Ianto, but if he did know something, he almost never said anything, unless none of the team knew but he did. Gwen just stands there, a bit out of place, and nervous. She doesn't want to leave Torchwood, and, to be honest, you don't want her to leave either.

"Cross-referencing with the rift activity monitor, doesn't look like it." Tosh answers.

"The car's been impounded. I'll get it back to the owner in the morning." Ianto reports to Owen. Gwen's not the only one standing aside. Jack and you are as well.

"All right. Bio-profile's onscreen now. Nothing in his genetic make-up likely to contaminate the city." Owen informs you, because he never liked to keep secrets form his team. Since Jack did all the time, and Owen despised that, he decided to do things differently.

"That's good, isn't it?" Gwen asks.

Owen rolls his eyes. "Yes, newbie, that's good."

You glare at him. "Owen."

He ignores you. "Tosh, Can you add that to the species database?" He turns, looking for Ianto. "Ianto?"

"Hello." Ianto appears.

"Can you deal with the body when it's cold?" He asks him though it's more of an order than a question.

"My pleasure... Unless you mean making sushi." He comments.

"Morgue'll do fine." Owen waves it away.

"Got pretty organized without me." Jack finally speaks.

"Yeah, well, we had to." Owen's not looking at Jack, but at some reports in his hands. He's obviously pretty pissed. You roll your eyes at him. What about what you asked him earlier?

"And got a new employee as well." He turns to Gwen. "PC Gwen Cooper! Nice to see you working for Torchwood!"

You notice how Gwen releases a breath she hadn't known she was holding. That obviously means Gwen's going to stay at Torchwood. That's great, you can't help but smile at that.

"Hey, did you decorate in here?" Jack asks.

"You left us, Jack. Don't act as if everything's all right, because it's not!" Owen slams his hands on his desk.

"I know. I'm sorry." Jack sighs. You can't help but feel bad for him.

"We knew nothing." Owen finally turns to face Jack. He glares at him, accusing. You seriously want to punch Owen.

"I'm sorry." Jack repeats.

Tosh tries a different technique. "Were you with your Doctor?" She asks softly.

"Yeah."

"Did he fix you?" Owen asks, less harshly this time.

"What's to fix? You don't mess with this level of perfection." Jack tries to hide behindh is usual Jark-Harkness façade, but you see right through it. The Doctor told him he was wrong after all. And now he knows he can't be mortal again. If there's anyone you feel sorry for, and probably will for all your life, is Jack.

"Are you going back to him?" Ianto asks, softly as well, his insecurity written all over his face, and you just want to hug him.

Jack obviously notices, and he stares at Ianto when he says, "I came back for you." Then, just so the others won't feel left out, he looks at the entire team when he says, "All of you." But you know better. Sure, he came back for the team, but mainly Ianto.

A coomputer beeps and Tosh checks it out. "Rift activity!" She exclaims. Reunion-time over, time to get back to work.

* * *

Soon, you're at the crime scene. SOCO is there as well, but they know better than to ask you anything.

"Fragments of rift energy around the neck, arm and shoulders." Tosh reads.

"He was grabbed… And pushed." Jack remarks.

You roll your eyes. "No shit, Sherlock."

"Explains the residual energy cluster." Tosh says.

"How did you ever manage without me?" Jack jokes, but everyone ignores him. Except you, that is.

"With team-bonding exercises and hard work." You reply. And by team-bonding exercises you obviously mean Supernatural marathons every time you could.

"So, there's a potential killer on the loose—bi-pedal, maybe humanoid." Owen says.

"Oh, he's definitely human. Time agent." You reply.

"Oh, so now you're back in your little throne?" Owen raises an eyebrow at you.

"Hey, this is the first episode of season 2, of course I remember this. Not my fault that everything that happened while Jack was away was never shown on screen." You reply.

"What do you mean, time agent?" Jack asks you, suddenly serious.

"Oh, you'll find out which one." You wave it off.

"Any other alien tech involved, Tosh?" Gwen asks.

"No readings to suggest that." Tosh shakes her head.

"Okay, let's get back and see what we can piece together." Jack orders.

"Taking charge again are you?" Owen asks, resentfully.

"I was hoping for a little power struggle, resolved by some naked wrestling." Jack jokes but Owen shakes his head.

"Sorry, Jack. I'm sure Tea Boy over there would love naked wrestling with you, but I'm taken." He says, some of his resentment gone.

Jack raises an eyebrow. "And who's the lucky girl?" He grins.

Owen takes Tosh's hand in his and holds it up. Tosh blushes slightly.

"Yeah, they're a couple now." You add. "We should probably go now." Owen drops their hands, but he doesn't let go of Tosh's.

You walk out of the crime scene. You thank Andy, and apologize for the trouble—you like Andy and Gwen didn't always treat him well on the TV show—and walk back to the SUV. Just then, Jack's vortex manipulator beeps. He presses a button to turn it off, but Ianto's already noticed.

"Whoa, that never beeps." He says.

"That's what I was thinking." Jack replies. He presses another button as the whole team gathers around him, and a 3D nearly life-sized holographic image of John Hart appears.

"I can't believe I got the answer machine! What can you be doing that's more important than me?" John complains.

"Well, I can think of a few things." You roll your eyes.

"Anyway, you've probably traced the energy shift, found the body. All me, sorry about the mess. Bill me for the clean-up. Now—" He claps his hands and rubs them together. "Drinks! Retrolock the transmission coordinates, that's where I am. And hurry up, work to do!" And he finished with a girl voice. "Help me Obi-Wan Kenobi, you're my only hope!" He turns to look at the side, then vanishes.

"Stay here. Don't come after me." Jack orders, very serious, then starts walking away. Gwen, curious as she is, goes after him.

"Who was that?"

"Stay here." Jack repeats.

"But—" Jack enters the SUV and slams the door shut on her face, and drives away before she can ask anything else.

"Gwen, it's useless." You tell her but Owen starts running after the car, complaining and cursing Jack very loudly.

Then he walks back to join you, Tosh and Ianto. Gwen walks back reluctantly. Ianto turns toward the main road. "You see that? He swans back in and then he shuts us right out." Owen complains.

"Can you blame him, though? That guy's part of his past, the past that he isn't proud of. We've all got things we want to hide, can you blame him for trying? Besides, he's more than a hundred years old, can you really blame him for all the secrets he's keeping?" You can't help but defend Jack.

"What, you're on his side now?" Owen clenches his fists but Tosh puts her hand on his arm, calming him down a bit.

"I can track him." She says.

Ianto whistles loudly, and everyone turns to look at him. "Taxi!" You get inside the cab, Ianto in the front, you, Gwen, Tosh and Owen are in the back seat. There's hardly space for all of you but you're all there anyway.

"Reports coming in of a bar disturbance." Tosh says. "Same coordinates as the SUV."

"Tell the police we're dealing with it." You tell her.

"Okay, so who the hell was the bloke in the hologram?" Owen demands, almost glaring at you.

"You'll find out as soon as we get there. No need for me to ruin the surprise. And in case you _don't_ find out, I'll tell you later." You promise.

"Why didn't Jack let us go with him?" Tosh asks.

"'Cause it's typical Jack, isn't it? Disappears, he comes back, then he runs away again. Shuts us out. We don't even know his real name." Owen answers, frustrated. Tosh gives him a worried glance, and takes his hand in hers.

"Or which time he comes from." She adds.

"Exactly. He's supposed to be our boss, we know nothing about him." Owen complains.

Ianto looks uncomfortable with all this. Gwen frowns.

"What do you mean you know nothing about him?"She asks.

"Jack keeps many secrets." You answer. "And he has his reasons."

"Doesn't stop me from wanting to know what they are." Owen snorts.

"Doesn't mean you're going to get your answers," you point out, then stare out the window.

Everyone stays quiet. Until Ianto says, "It is more fun when he's around, though."

"Yeah." Owen admits.

"Oh, definitely!" Tosh agrees.

"Totally." You nod. Gwen doesn't say anything, since she doesn't know the difference, and she feels a bit left out. You feel kind of bad for her, but she'll soon get why working when Jack's around is more fun.

When you get at the club, you stay behind the doors. You can hear Jack talking inside. "You need to go. I don't want you on my territory."

"Time was, you couldn't get enough of me on your 'territory'." You hear Captain John Hart's voice saying. Then there are many gunshots and both glasses from the main door and back door shatter. "All right, everybody out!" He shouts. You, Gwen and Ianto come through the front door, with you standing in between Gwen and Ianto. Tosh and Owen come through the back.

"Everything all right?" Gwen asks, confused.

"It's okay, okay, okay!" Jack answers, frustrated.

John just looks amused. "You've got a team! How sweet! Oh, pretty little friends! No blonde, though. You need a blonde." **(A/N: If you imagine Lucy as a blonde, then let's say that the light was too dim and John couldn't see very well)**

"God! He's worse than Jack." Owen remarks.

You roll your eyes. "Of course he is. Did you expect anything else?"

"Oh, do you have a team name? I love team names, go on!" John looks like an excited puppy.

"Torchwood." Jack replies.

"Oh. Not Excalibur? Blizzard? Bikini Cops? No? Torchwood. Oh, dear." John shakes his head.

"I know! That was my first reaction." You're not lying. "But it's better than any of the choices you just said."

"Ianto Jones, Lucy Blake, Gwen Cooper, Toshiko Sato, Owen Harper, meet..." He looks at John, who ends up introducing himself.

"Captain John Hart."

In a very Doctor-like manner, you hold up your hand, moving your fingers, waving at him. "Hello." You're the only one who greets him.

"We go back." Jack says as an explanation.

"Excuse me. We more than go back. We were partners." John acts like that annoying ex-girlfriend that still thinks you're together when you're not. It makes you chuckle.

"In what way?" Ianto asks, insecurity written all over his face, once again. You just want to hug him because his tone kind of breaks your heart a little.

"In every way. And then some." John says smugly.

"It was two weeks." Jack says.

"Except that two weeks was trapped in a time loop, so we were together for five years. It was like having a wife."

"You were the wife." Jack immediately says.

"No, _you_ were the wife." John replies. They fight like a married couple, only this is slightly humorous and you can't help but chuckle at their little banter.

"No, you were the wife."

"Oh, but I was a good wife!" John replies.

"I bet you were. What? Don't pretend you haven't noticed, he's cute." Tosh adds when she sees the looks she receives from pretty much everyone except you. Owen immediately goes on jealous mode, and makes a step forward, as if to shield Tosh from John.

"They're just shy." John says.

"What are you doing here?" Jack asks John, serious again.

"I was wondering when we'd get to that." He opens his vortex manipulator and punches some buttons.

"That's the same as yours." Toshiko remarks.

"A little smaller." Jack says.

John rolls his eyes. "But lasts much longer. Get two Time Agents in the same room together, it's always about the size of the wrist strap."

"Did you expect anything else?" You ask him.

"Ah, yes, sorry? What's a Time Agent?" Owen asks.

"What? He's never told you about his past?" John asks, incredulous.

"And he's got very good reasons not to." You reply.

"But you know about it." John's noticed. You probably should be more careful. Oh, well.

"Trust me, if it was up to him I wouldn't know a thing." You make sure everyone knows Jack hasn't told you anything. And why would he? He trusts Ianto, not you. You're just here because you _already knew_ about it. That's probably the only reason you got the job in the first place.

Jack and John exchange looks.

"Anyway…" He presses a button of his manipulator and a holograph of a canister appears. "I'm working with this woman—beautiful, clever, sexy, yadda yadda yadda—and we both get shot. And as she's dying, she begs me. She tells me about these radiation cluster bombs she'd been working on."

You roll your eyes. "Yeah, that's totally what happened", you mumble under your breath.

"I don't like the sound of that." Owen comments.

"Three canisters, contents beyond toxic, swallowed up in a riftstorm." John continues.

"And ended up here." Tosh deduces.

"Bingo. That's the downside of your city being built on a rift in space and time. Now, left to their own devices, the radiation'll break down the canisters and then infect your people and planet. They need to be neutralized." He explains, pressing another button to make the image disappear.

"What do you get out of this?" Jack asks him.

"Dying woman's wish." Jack doesn't believe him, and you don't either. "Now, there's only one problem: I don't know where they are. Hoping local knowledge might help."

"When we get back to the Hub, I can run a citywide scan on radiation surges and cross-reference that with the Rift activity during that time span." Tosh says.

"What are you, the brains and the beauty?" Owen clenches his fists at that and glares at John. "You see, together it's an easy job."

Jack makes a step closer to John. "We do this, you get out of here when it's finished. Right away."

"Does this mean I get to see your house?" John smirks, but Jack's not amused.

* * *

"It's roomy, I'll give you that." John says as he and Jack descend through the Hub on the "invisible lift". You, Ianto, Gwen and Tosh are waiting at the base. Tosh gives you a scanner. Owen's in the back, his gun drawn out, just in case. "Your taste in interior design hasn't got any better, though. What is this, sewer chic?" You really want to punch John.

The block stops and Jack steps off, facing John, preventing him from stepping off.

"Weapons." Jack says. John removes his gun and hands it to Jack, who puts in on the silver tray Ianto's holding. Then John removes a samurai sword and you can't help but roll your eyes at that. John shrugs innocently. Jack holds out his hand, waiting for more weapons. "And the rest."

"Oh, you know me. I'm a two-weapon man." John says innocently. You snort.

"Yeah, right." You read the scanner. "Is that why you've got a pistol strapped to each leg, a laser knife beneath your left elbow and 17 small explosive charges in the lining of your coat?" You raise an eyebrow at him. John hands over the weapons.

"Slipped my mind." He says as an excuse. You snort again, and roll your eyes.

"Yeah. Totally slipped your mind." You say sarcastically.

* * *

In the conference room, Tosh presents her findings to everyone. John has his feet up the table, which you find terribly annoying.

"Seven hours ago we logged a minor surge in rift energy, across three locations." Tosh explains.

"Seven of us, three locations. That's simple. Two teams of two and one of three, one team per canister." John says.

"Excuse me, I give the orders." Jack replies, annoyed.

"Well, give some, big boy!"

"I hope you won't because Owen's still pretty pissed at you." You tell Jack. "What'd you want me to call you?" You ask John, a bit annoyed.

"With eyes like yours, call me Vera, I won't complain." He flirts. You roll your eyes, and notice Ianto's done the same.

"You sure? Because that's what I'll call you." You warn him. "Okay, then, if Owen agrees with this," you say, "Tosh and Owen could take north, Gwen and Vera could take the docks, and I'll go with Jack and Ianto and take west." You propose.

"I'm cool with this but—do you think Gwen can take it?" Owen asks.

"Of course I can." Gwen responds, sounding offended.

"Okay then. Allons-y!" You say in a perfect imitation of the Tenth Doctor. Jack cracks a smile at that.

John warns about the canisters being radioactive, then Jack warns Gwen about the do's and don't's when you're with John—Vera—and then you're on your way.

You, Ianto and Jack step into an office.

"Oh, yeah! Loving that office-y feel!" Jack says, looking very excited. You roll your eyes, but don't comment. You sort of want to make yourself invisible. "I always get excited in these places. To me, they're exotic. Office romances... Photocopying your butt... Well, maybe not your butt, although as we're here, why don't we—"

Ianto cuts him off. "The Rift was active at these coordinates approximately two hundred feet above ground. That means this floor or the roof." Ianto continues searching, while Jack watches him, you hide yourself behind a desk and try to pretend you're too busy to hear what's happening when in reality you're fangirling so hard on the inside you don't know how you can manage to keep a straight face.

"How are you, Ianto?" Jack asks, sounding genuinely concerned.

"All the better for having you back, sir." Ianto replies. He turns away to check the desks farther—further—away from Jack.

"Can we maybe drop the sir, now? While I was away, I was thinking... Maybe we could, you know, when this is all done... Dinner? A movie?" You love how awkward Jack is while asking Ianto, as if he's never done that before. You resist the urge to laugh, and once again manage to keep a straight face. It's obvious both of them have forgotten you're there.

"Are you asking me out on a date?" Ianto turns to look at Jack.

Jack goes back to his cocky self. "Interested?"

"Well... As long as it's not in an office. Some fetishes should be kept to yourself." Ianto gives him a vague answer, as he continues searching.

"Looks like we're gonna have to go through every drawer, bin and plant pot…" Jack trails off.

"Right. Okay. I'll do this floor, don't want you getting overexcited, and you take the roof. You're good on roofs." _Oh, that he is_, you think. Jack starts for the door, but Ianto turns around and asks him, "Jack? Why are we helping him?"

"He's a reminder of my past. I want him gone." Jack answers honestly. He walks out the door, but then pops his head back in. "By the way... Was that a yes?"

"Yes!" Ianto answers too eagerly, so he adds, "Yes." Jack smiles and leaves the office. Ianto continues looking around. As soon as you think Jack can't hear you, you say,

"Well, it's about time." Ianto jumps back, startled. "Oh, come on, you hadn't forgotten me, had you?" You pretend feeling hurt.

"No—uh—I—" You can't help but laugh.

"So, what do you think?" You ask him, about Jack, of course.

"He's… He's changed." Ianto admits.

"Yeah, well, _obviously_." You roll your eyes. "Is that all you've noticed?"

"No." Ianto shakes his head. "I—I think he was gone for more than four months. And… He's obviously had a hard time while he was away."

You kind of told him that—told everyone in the team—but maybe he has realized it for himself. You nod, and get back to work. You work quietly, sometimes mumbling the lyrics of a song just because you feel like it, until you and Ianto agree and head out. You stay behind though, because something catches your eye.

Just before you're about to follow him, John appears and presses his gun to Ianto's head.

"Into the lift, Eye Candy." He says.

You put a hand on your chest, widen your eyes and shout with your most girly voice, "Oh my God, Vera, what are you _doing_!" You can't help but laugh a little at that. Then you go serious again and say, "No, seriously, what are you doing?" This time with your normal voice. John gives you a weird look, before cocking his gun, ready to shoot Ianto.

"All right, both of you, into the lift." _Or I'll shoot him_ goes unsaid. You raise an eyebrow—you'd forgotten this would happen but now it all comes back—and enter the lift. "Your friends are bleeding and dying."

You snort. "No shit, Sherlock, I had no idea. Let me guess. You'll want the canister but Jack won't give it to you and he won't travel with you either, so you'll push him off the roof and he'll die." You don't mention his resurrection.

"Nice guess, but that's not what's going to happen." John says. You snort. "Anyway, you better go. You barely have enough time—to save your friends."

Ianto immediately presses his earpiece. "Owen? Gwen?"

John rolls his eyes. "What am I, a child?"

"No, but you sure act like one." You answer.

"At least I don't own a primitive bit of technology, easily blocked; you should be embarrassed. And when you get to the bottom, run. You look like a man who enjoys a challenge, see if you can save them. Come back up here, I'll shoot on sight."

You curse at that as John presses the button that'll take you to the lobby. "This teaches us a valuable lesson," you say while John can still hear you. "Never trust a bloke that won't complain if you call him Vera." John chuckles. Ianto makes a step forward, preventing the doors from closing.

"Why are you doing this?" He asks John.

"We're a cosmic joke, Eye Candy, an accident of chemicals and evolution. The jokes, the sex…" He strokes Ianto's cheek with the point of his gun, and you know that if Jack had been there, he'd have punched John already. "Just cover the fact that nothing means anything. And the only consolation is... _money_." He presses his gun against Ianto's forehead and pushes him back into the lift. "So run, Ianto Jones, Lucy Blake. Run as fast as you can." The doors finally close, and a few moments later, you get to the lobby.

"Let's go." Ianto says, pulling out his phone, probably to warn Jack.

"You stay, I'll get them." When Ianto gives you a weird look, though still with the phone in his hand, you answer, "I wasn't kidding when I said he was going to push Jack off the roof. When he does, he'll come back down to get the canister then get to the Hub. I know you want to be with Jack every time he dies, so when he does, you'll be here for him, but you need to hide at first, okay?" You tell him while you walk away. Ianto hangs up, frustrated when no one answers.

"All right." He agrees.

"I'll call you as soon as everyone's safe." You promise as you run to the SUV.

Lucky you, the part of the street where Jack falls dead has a CCTV pointing at him, so you can watch the scene. At first, you're too busy driving to notice, but then, when you turn it on, the canister's gone, and Ianto's pulled Jack's body close to him, Jack's head on Ianto's lap, and Ianto's stroking Jack's hair, waiting for him to come back.

When Jack comes back, he hadn't expected Ianto to be around, but clearly he is, and Jack is grateful, gripping him tight for a moment too long, before standing up. You don't have audio, so you just turn off the video and focus on driving. You stop outside a warehouse, and break the padlock.

"Tosh! Owen!" You scream.

"Lucy!" Tosh screams back.

"Tosh!" You can't help but shout her name, glad she's responding. You just remember what happened to Gwen in the episode, not to Owen or Tosh, which is very unfortunate, for all three of them. There's only one way John could've escaped and that would be by paralyzing Gwen. You're the one to blame for that, since you paired Gwen and John, but you thought she'd be more careful. Guess not.

"We're over here." You follow the sound of her voice, until you find her, and Owen, who's lying on the ground, a gunshot wound on his leg.

"You think you can move? We need to find Gwen quick." You ask.

"Why? What happened?" Tosh asks, worried.

"Vera kissed her and he had paralyzing lip gloss on, which means, unless we find her and she receives adequate treatment, her major organs will shut down, usually in two hours' time, but I bet an hour has passed already.

"Let's go." Owen manages to get up, but he leans heavily on Tosh at first, who helps him walk toward the SUV. Then you drive to the docks. There are so many containers you forgot were there and you facepalm. "If she's in one of these, we'll never find her, there's too many!" Owen complains.

"Just, keep looking! She has to be here somewhere. And don't call her phone, Vera threw it away." You say.

"You're going to keep calling him Vera?" Owen asks.

"Yep." And then you walk away, trying to remember in which container she was. Then you stop, remembering what Tosh did. "Wait, no! Tosh, if you had Gwen's phone, could you trace the place where she made her last call?"

"Easily." She answers.

"Okay." You pull out your phone and dial Gwen's number. "Then let's go." You say as Gwen's phone starts ringing. "Or, should I say, Allons-y!"

As soon as you find Gwen's phone, Tosh uses her hand-held scanner to trace the location. "Got it!" She says, and she takes the lead, you and Owen following her close behind. It's your fault, and you know it. You didn't know if Gwen was capable of handling John for herself, and you knew what happened in the episode. Why you let her go alone is beyond you.

Tosh suddenly stops. "This is where she made the call. Open every container door!" You don't need to hear that again, you open one container door and start checking, but you doubt this is it. Then, you hear Tosh's voice. "She's in here!" Before you get to Gwen, you go find Owen's anti-toxin kit and give it to him as you enter.

"Don't worry, Gwen. You'll be fine." You say as you kneel next to her. Best part is, you mean it. You know Owen, and despite all your jokes, Owen is a great medic. And, just like you predicted, he manages to save Gwen.


	43. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang: Day 2

**A/N: Thanks for reading the story! But, again, if you haven't reviewed, you can skip this A/N. Sorry, it's really long.**

**kkpsigirl: Hi, thanks for reading this story! I've read your Can Love Conquer All? story and I have to say that I love it, though I'm guilty of not reviewing... Anyway, when I first started this story I knew I wouldn't include Gwen at least for the first season, but I was hesitant about bringing her in. I love her character, even if sometimes she can be irritating and she does some really stupid stuff in the show, and, well, there's the whole Jack/Gwen thing too. But I figured that bringing her in while Jack was gone, specially with Lucy around, who knows the stupid things she can do and she can help her to change a few of those. And, well, Janto's my OTP (and Lucy's) so I try to include as many Janto moments as possible, and while I try not to make Lucy eavesdrop on them too much, I fail miserably at that. Thanks for reviewing!**

**scarlet phlame:**** Yeah, well, the Master was definitely not—I doubt he ever was, but I haven't seen Classic Who yet so I don't really know—in his right state of mind, but I still can't bring myself to hate him (but that's probably because of the Doctor, and the pain he obviously felt when the Master died. Owen, Tosh and Ianto aren't the only people I killed during the year but I've only told my best friend who else I'd killed and she punched me in the arm when I told her, so I'm definitely not going to say it here (besides, Lucy doesn't know it either so...).**

**Anyway, it's true Gwen can be irritating but, while I didn't like Miracle Day (it didn't really feel like Torchwood, especially without the Hub and the pterodactyl and everything that made the Hub so awesome, besides the people that RTD decided it would be a good idea to kill), I did love Gwen's character. She was pretty cool, and I loved how she preferred to video chat with Rhys and Anwen (that was her daughter's name, right?) than talking to Jack (poor Jack, though), putting her family (Rhys, mainly) first, something that she didn't do in previous seasons (except maybe CoE but I've locked those episodes away so I don't really remember). I don't think Gwen really meant what she said in the car. I mean, she was really mad because the Miracle was destroying her family, and everyone (especially Gwen) says things they don't mean when they're mad. And I am guilty of reading Gwen-bashing stories, but while I can even get to hate Gwen in those stories, I can't hate Gwen in the show. In my mind, there are different characters, from each fanfic I read, and the show (though I kind of consider Miracle Day as a TW fanfic, to be honest, and CoE is just a terrible dream, and Tosh and Owen didn't really die in S02, but that's just me in denial). And it's true. In the show, Gwen's the one defying Jack all the time (I loved it when she said she wasn't going to retcon Rhys. I don't think I would've continued loving her character if she had) and obsessed with helping people (at least in season 1, since in Adrift Andy was the one who reminded her of how she used to be), and while she is not uncaring, sometimes she does cast Rhys and her old friends aside, which is what bothers me the most, but she's not completely bad. Besides, I love her accent. Well, Eve Myles, but it's the same accent so... xD**

**Moving on, Jack's always been like that, even before the Doctor found him, because of what he went through when he was little. He's used to being strong for everyone, including himself, but that can't be good for him. So, yeah, in this story, Ianto's probably the one who's going to be strong for him in those moments, when he breaks down because everyone has breakdowns, and I refuse to believe that Jack is the exception. And yes, it's Ianto because, like Lucy, I'm a hardcore Janto shipper—they're my OTP.**

**Nooow, second review :D Seriously, I love how you review almost every chapter. Thankyouthankyouthankyouthankyou for that! That scene was epic, and I also loved the "Bloody Torchwood" line. When I first saw the ep, I wasn't expecting it and I was laughing so hard, I'm pretty sure my neighbours could hear me xD And yeah, I really like Torchwood's name but it's so easy to make fun of. Though I make fun of it because (I took this definition ****from WordReference, by the way) torch is also "a wooden or tow shaft dipped in wax or tallow and set alight", so, Torch and Wood... xD But yeah, I also know what flashlight means, mainly because I learnt American English before I tried with British, and I also watch Supernatural (DEAN: *scared smile* I'll man the flashlight. SAM: *rolls his eyes* [the ep where Dean had some ghost disease that made him scared of everything]) and while I'd never heard Flashlightwood before reading your review, it cracks me up xD**

**Yep, I knew that already but now that I'm rewatching a few Doctor Who episodes, it's impressive how RTD always puts it in random episodes at completely random moments. I'm rewatching the show because my Dad (the original whovian in the family, who recommended me the show) had skipped Nine (gasp) and hadn't seen all the episodes, so I'm rewatching it with him. And I also re-watch a few episodes because, like I said, I'm planning on adding a few Doctor Who episodes at random in this story.**

**Well, Gwen isn't completely clueless. She definitely has more knowledge than when she first started working there in the show. And the fact that I love her character was what motivated me in including her in the story. I didn't really want her falling in love with Jack so I assumed the best way to avoid that was to include her when Jack wasn't around, and the Year That Never Was was a perfect opportunity for that. And, while I still don't see Towen as my OTP, it's incredibly close to it, so yeah, I definitely love that ship, and love them together so I just added them in. Whoa, long reviews mean long replies, and while I love long reviews, I'm not sure whether I'm boring you or not. If I am, sorry! Anyway, I'll let you read on. Hope you like this chapter!**

**Day 2.**

You, Tosh, Owen, Ianto and Gwen point your guns at John, stopping him from completing whatever it is he's doing.

"Oh-kay." He says. "Pretty and resilient. Is that even fair?"

"Well, using us to get that," you nod in direction of the canisters, "and killing Jack in the process, is that fair?"

"I don't do fair." John replies.

"Neither do we."

"Well, so you already know your boss is splayed out on the—" His eyes widen as soon as Jack steps into view from behind you. "—pavement. Now that's impressive. Seriously, you can earn a fortune in the Vegas galaxies with an act like that. Go on, how's it work?"

"I can't die." Jack answers honestly.

"No, but really." John obviously doesn't believe him.

"No. But really, you can't kill me. No matter how many times you try. I can't die. Ever." Jack says. You want to contradict him, but that would be giving him spoilers he doesn't want to know. Jack walks down the steps to the medical bay, and you and Ianto make room for him.

"But what does it cost you? Every time you have to drag yourself back here, how does it feel? All that pain and trauma. Plus, you're reborn into this godforsaken mess. I pity you." John says.

"These people. This planet. All the beauty you could never see. That's what I come back for." He replies, being completely honest. Ianto, who was incredibly tense as soon as John said those words, relaxes a bit, but doesn't stop pointing his gun at John.

"Well, goody on you." John says, obviously not happy with Jack's answer.

"What's in the canisters?" Ianto asks.

"Come-clean time, Captain." Owen adds.

"Yeah, all right. That woman I told you about? Had herself an Arcadian diamond, the rarest gem in the Damascene Cluster. Just when I'd got my hands on her, she only generates her own personal riftstorm. God, I hate technological geniuses." He almost sighs. You roll your eyes at him.

"Why? They're brilliant, just look at Tosh!" You say. Tosh obviously doesn't believe that, so she decides to ignore your comment. Seriously, some people in this team need more self-estime.

"You said this was a dying woman's request." Tosh says.

"Yeah, she was dying. I shot her." John clarifies.

"Did you expect anything else from Vera?" You ask Tosh.

"Thought my luck had changed when I found it had ended up here. So, I'm thinking 50/50? Even split, good deal. Or if anyone fancies an orgy?" The team exchanges a look, and you drag John and his pyramid and canisters to Jack's office.

Jack's alone with John inside, so you, Gwen, Ianto, Tosh and Owen stay outside. Ianto's made coffee, and you thank him when he gives you your mug. But then, surprising everyone, he enters Jack's office. You didn't expect him to do that, but never mind, Gwen frowns. When she joined, she knew Ianto was just the coffee boy, even if he went on field missions every often. And even though you told her that he and Jack were sort-of-together, she obviously didn't believe it until now.

She stands up, and walks to the door, when it bursts open, and John takes her and cuffs her wrist to his.

"What happened?" Tosh asks, when Jack and Ianto walk out of the office.

"I'll explain later." Jack says, obviously worried. You roll your eyes at that.

"That thing on Vera's chest is a DNA bomb or something like that. It's going to explode in about ten minutes—well, less than ten minutes now." You explain.

Gwen's eyes widen, and she takes a look at the handcuffs tying her to John. "What have you done?!" She exclaims.

"It's... Uh... Hypersteel, impermeable, deadlock sealed. No way to undo them. Unless you have this key." John shows her the key, then puts it in his mouth and swallows it.

"You are _unbelievable_!" Gwen shouts, grabbing him by his throat.

"And yet, you still find me strangely attractive. Now _you _had better find a solution pronto or she'll be blown up with me!"

"Will shooting him stop the DNA trigger?" Owen asks.

"No." You and Jack say.

"So! What are we gonna do now, team? The orgy's still on offer, by the way. Especially now the cuffs are out." John still proposes.

"No one here's going to have sex with you, Vera." You reply.

"Nine minutes, four second." Ianto says, looking at his stopwatch.

"Where'd you get that stopwatch?" Owen asks, frowning.

Ianto looks up at Owen. "I always have it with me." You can't help but chuckle at that.

"Of course he does." Owen rolls his eyes.

"Tosh? The Rift predictor program, have you perfected yet?" Gwen obviously has an idea.

"Pretty much." Tosh answers.

"What?" John asks, dumbfounded.

"Anything in the next few minutes?" Gwen asks. Tosh runs to her workstation to check

"Gwen, no." You shake your head. She can't do it. It's too dangerous.

"What's she talking about?" John asks, starting to get worried.

"If we're in the Rift when that disc explodes, the city will be safe." Gwen explains.

"How does that save us?" John obviously doesn't understand that Gwen is ready to sacrifice herself for her beloved Cardiff if needed.

"It doesn't." Gwen answers, and John goes silent.

"Eight thirty-two... Thirty-one..." Ianto counts.

"You're bluffing." John says, obviously not believing her.

"Try me." Gwen replies, dead serious.

"The car park where he arrived. The crack in the Rift is still active up there." Tosh comes in.

"That's where we're going." She pulls John after him, both of them leaving the workstation. Tosh, Jack and Ianto leave after her, but you turn to Owen.

"I know how to confuse the disc." You remember. "We need to inject Vera with all the blood sample we have." You tell him.

"Couldn't you have said it sooner?" Owen asks you, annoyed.

"Slipped my mind." You answer.

"This better work." Owen says as he takes a syringe and fills it with the blood samples.

"It'll work." You promise.

* * *

Owen drives the red convertible the blowfish stole, recklessly, while you hold the syringe. He stops the car as soon as you get to the parking lot takes the syringe and gets out. You get out as well.

"Thirty seconds." Ianto counts.

"Er, what's he doing?" John asks as Owen runs toward him and Gwen. He tackles John to the ground and stabs the syringe needle directly into his chest. "Agh! Get off me!"

After the syringe is empty, he leaves him, but the disc doesn't react. He turns to you. "It's not working!"

"Give it a couple of seconds." You shout back, walking over to where he is.

"Fifteen seconds!" Ianto counts.

"What are you doing?!" Gwen kneels next to John.

"Trying to confuse the disc." Owen replies. "Why hasn't it worked?" He asks you.

"It'll work!" You repeat.

"Well, right now it's not!" Owen raises his voice, and you roll your eyes.

"Be bloody patient!" You reply.

"Twelve seconds!" Ianto counts.

Gwen grabs John and pulls him up. "I've gotta go."

"No, Gwen, wait!" You run to stop her. "I'll work, just—" The disc starts making noises. "Told you!" You turn to Owen. The disc falls off, and Gwen pulls John to his feet.

"Five... Four..." You pick up the disc. "Three…" Owen runs to Tosh, and pulls her behind a car. "Two…" You throw the disc into the Rift. "One." The disc enter the Rift. "Go!" Jack pulls Ianto behind a car, taking cover. You grab John's other arm and start running, dragging both John and Gwen away from the Rift.

"Run!" You shout when you notice they aren't doing any effort to follow you. Jus then, the Rift explodes.


End file.
